I learned a little something from our IT folks at work yesterday I will pass along for the benefit of those who use Internet Explorer 6.0 If you're using IE and you don't know what version, go to "Help," and click on "About Internet Explorer," and it will tell you which version. If you're on IE 6.0, click on "Tools", then "Internet Options". For years, I've been clicking on "Delete Files" and "Clear History" on the "General" tab a couple of times in any session in which I'm on line. It will clear the cache (the little pictures the computer saves for quicker reloading that will bog your computer down over time if you don't clean it out because it gets too full--you can adjust the size of your cache, but it can still slow you down). I usually clear the history when I'm going through my Yahoogroups list and attempting to unbounce folks so that I methodically know which lists I've already worked with. Once you clear the history, the links aren't a different color than the rest as they are when you've already clicked on them. I use ScanSpyware.Net to clear the sludge out of my computer after each session, so I don't have any high risk spy-guys following me on the computer looking for ways to get in. But there was a setting in those "Tools", "Internet Options" I wasn't clearing I will be now. If you're on IE 6, click on "Tools", "Internet Options", and then "Settings" on the "General" tab. A new section will come up. Click on "View Files." This will open up your "Temporary Internet Files". If, like me, this is the first time you've looked at it, you will be amazed at how much gunk is in there. This is the place where all those pop-up ads and pages you've clicked on have left their cookies and copies of notes you've looked at if you've not cleaned it out. The graphics you've had on display (a page may be composed of countless graphics) may be there too. Some of that stuff you DEFINITELY don't want to have on your work puter, and you probably won't want it on your home one, either. According to our IT support, these cookies are the reason you get so many pop ups. They're telling the marketers what interests you have and sending you other ways to try pick your pocket. They're tracking where you go (I know not all cookies are evil, at least not when they started out, but when the internet took off as the great retail avenue, merchants got "smarter"/"more devious", and this is the end result). I was advised by my IT person to delete them all. However, being of the age where candles burn holes in your brain and things like passwords just fall right out of your head, I selectively went through them. I deleted a majority of what was there, but saved the ones for newspapers I had to register for that would take me longer to look up the password again. It's these buggers that can be slowing up your computer, so you should be able to safely delete them without hassle. Though I have cable broadband, there are days the connection gets slow (especially when a site is attempting to set a cookie--and you have to take cookies with many sites--of the folks in Shanghai or Ganghzou are trying to crawl through my computer and get blocked by my Firewall). Cleaning the computer (goodness, I hate housecleaning much less cleaning the puter, LOL) is just about a requirement if you want spead at all. I hope this helps you. I consider myself fairly savvy about computer maintenace, but this one was new to me. --- Deb Fuller <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > It's probably not from them. The latest spam and > viruses are spoofing > e-mail addresses so that it's nearly impossible to > track where they > comes from. I get bounced messages all the time to > people I know I've > never heard of before nor would have sent a message > to. > > The best way to combat this is to have an address > that you give out > online and another one that you use just for > personal e-mail. For > example, if a website asks for your e-mail address, > use your backup > e-mail address instead of your main one. Chances are > that site will > either sell your address to someone else or it will > be hacked by > spammers. This will keep the spam off your main > address and keep your > address from being used without your knowledge. > > http://www.snopes.com/ has info on spam and viruses. > > deb > ===== Indigo Nights [log in to unmask] ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).