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You know at least one person you can send e-mail to when you want to test your mail -- yourself.
   technofile
Al Fasoldt's reviews and commentaries, continuously available online since 1983

Your ISP's software and other myths of the Internet


June 14, 2000

By Al Fasoldt
Copyright ©2000, Al Fasoldt
Copyright ©2000, The Syracuse Newspapers

   It's time to debunk some Internet myths.
   Myth 1: You have to use the software your ISP gives you to connect to the Internet.
   Reality: All modern personal computers -- Windows PCs, Apple Macintosh, Linux PCs, whatever -- have all the software they need to connect to the Internet. You don't need any software from your ISP. Use it if you want or ignore it. You have that choice.
   This means you don't have to use the e-mail software and Web browser your ISP supplies. For example, if you don't want to use Internet Explorer and Outlook Express, don't use them. Your ISP can't force you to use them.
   Myth 2: You have to be a user of America Online to do instant messaging.
   Reality: America Online (AOL) made instant messaging popular a long time ago. But instant messaging requires nothing more than an Internet connection -- and, of course, the right software. The two main programs are ICQ and AOL Instant Messenger. There are others that work well, too. Despite its name, AOL Instant Messenger works whether you have AOL or not.
   Myth 3: You're safe from computer viruses if you don't open file attachments that come in your e-mail.
   Reality: Viruses can enter your computer even if you never open an attachment. Many computer users don't realize this, but it's true. The kind of virus that attacks Windows PCs, called the VBScript virus, can get into your computer if it is sent in HTML mail. If your e-mail program -- Outlook Express, for example -- opens HTML mail automatically, without any need for action from you, VBScript viruses can work their way into your computer easily.
   Myth 4: If you get mail from porn sites, someone in your family must have been visiting those sites.
   Reality: E-mail addresses are bought and sold all the time, and your address probably isn't as private as you think. A site that sends you mail (or "spam," as it is often called) probably is sending out hundreds of thousands or even millions of e-mail letters blindly.
   Myth 5: The best way to stop unsolicited mail is to write back to the sender and say you want to be removed from the list.
   Reality: If you get mail you didn't ask for from someone or some company you don't know, chances are your name is on a "blind" mailing list -- a list that contains a lot of names. (See Myth 4 above.) Such lists are not very useful to mass mailers. They want lists of confirmed e-mail addresses, and they get those by removing the addresses of people who never write back.
   In other words, when you write to a mass mailer (or "spammer") to say you want to be taken off the list, you are simply confirming that your e-mail address is correct, and your address is then placed on a list of known good addresses. Spammers then sell that list for a lot of money. And you get more unsolicited mail.
   Myth 6: You have to clean out your Web browser cache now and then to speed up your Internet access.
   Reality: This might be true if your computer is old and slow. But the cache (a place on your computer where parts of Web pages are stored so they don't need to be downloaded repeatedly) usually is managed perfectly well by your browser, and will not get too big and won't slow down your browser.
   Myth 7: You don't know anybody to send e-mail to, so you don't have any way to see if it's working.
   Reality: You know at least one person you can send e-mail to when you want to test your mail -- yourself. Send a letter to yourself any time you think your mail isn't working.
   Myth 8: Internet access-blockers can keep kids from getting to sites they shouldn't be seeing.
   Reality: Programs that are supposed to restrict access sometimes work and sometimes don't. Worse yet, they often restrict access to sites that should not be blocked. And any kid who knows how to tie a shoe can figure out how to get around most site-blocking programs. Teach your kids to act responsibly instead, and help them learn some values.
   Myth 9: A faster modem will speed up your Web browsing.
   Reality: In many neighborhoods, typical modems are already working about as fast as they can. Many phone lines can't support speeds of 56k, even though 56k modems are cheap and come free with many PCs. A new modem might be a good idea, but it won't necessarily be faster than your old one.
   Myth 10: It's not safe to give out your credit card number on the Internet.
   Reality: It's as safe as giving your credit card to a stranger at a restaurant -- if the Web site you are doing your shopping at uses encryption. If you see a padlock symbol at the bottom of your browser window, the site you are on uses encryption.