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Pastimes : Computer Learning -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Gottfried who wrote (40047)	3/12/2004 11:45:06 PM
From: ILCUL8R	Read Replies (4) \| Respond to of 110631

Gottfried, Thanks for the links. Here is what I had in my message: "A router does provide a very adequate firewall (NAT and all that stuff). It protects me from unsolicited stuff coming in. But, if my machine were somehow to become infected with a worm that tries to send out email from my machine, I would need my own personal firewall. But, for now, I will continue to practice safe hex and enjoy the freedom and simplicity of a router connection." I never meant to imply one does not need a software firewall. But, all my ports are blocked and I download very few programs and do plan to run Zone Alarm now and then and to run an AV and trojan checker periodically. So, yes, one may need a software firewall. Personally, I will not use one most of the time, but I do not recommend that others do the same. In the last 7 years I have not had one virus or trojan or worm in my machines, but have fixed the machines of many others who became infected. I recommend to others that they use Netscape 7.1 or Mozilla 1.6. I've not had IE or OE on my machines in 7 years and I use WordPefect office suite instead of the M$ variety -- decisions which help markedly improve one's safety on the internet. YMMV. Whatta' hobby.

To: Gottfried who wrote (40047)	3/13/2004 1:42:10 AM
From: SIer formerly known as Joe B.	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 110631

Toilet seats are cleaner than keyboards and telephone dials Thu Mar 11, 4:43 PM ET story.news.yahoo.com NEW YORK (AFP) - Keyboards, computer mice and telephone dials are more infested with microbes than toilet seats, according to a University of Arizona study. The study recommends that office work stations be regularly disinfected since they can on average contain 400 times as many germs as a toilet seat, said Charles Gerba, a University of Arizona microbiologist. According to the study, telephones harbored up to 25,127 germs per square inch, keyboards 3,295 and computer mice 1,676. The average office contains 20,961 germs per square inch. "Desks are really bacteria cafeterias," Gerba said in a press release. "They are breakfast bars, lunch tables and everything else, as we spend more hours at the office. "When someone is infected with a cold or flu bug, the surfaces they touch during the day become germ transfer points because some cold and flu viruses can survive on surfaces for up to 72 hours," he added. "An office can become an incubator." US health officials last month warned about the dissemination of germs during the flu season. Officials reminded Americans to cover their nose and mouth while sneezing, wash their hands regularly and use disinfectant swabs to clean their office desks.