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Some preliminary stuff to read:
         
Browsers

I have several browsers loaded as checking web pages is important for a webmaster to ensure that code works properly in each. Having been weaned on IE, I continue to use it as my default browser. Be aware that Microsoft has not kept within the bounds of accepted standards with their browser so pages will not show identically as in Firefox, Opera or other browsers - this is a real pain to web design as the code used has to satisfy everyone's browser. This impacts how a design can be employed.

I suggest you find the browser that works best for you and stick with it.

IE users should ensure that Critical Updates are kept up to date as hackers love to concentrate on this client. Please note that Microsoft has come out with Internet Explorer 8. I suggest you do not upgrade to this one and stick with IE7. Note that Windows Update will have the new version listed - don't install it.

Many users feel that older versions of Netscape are better than the latest build. The Netscape browser is no longer maintained and, as such, you are best not to use it.

Google has come out with its own browser. Go to Google Search and click on the download.

Just a short note on browsers and their future. Depending on your level of computer knowledge, you may or may not know that the future of pc's as we know them today is somewhat dubious.
Bill Gates and his empire is fasttracking us into a corner. He is trying to completely wipe out the competition and have us at his exclusive whim. While he invented Windows, he should not be the exclusive vendor of software that feeds it, but this is exactly where he and Microsoft are leading us.
To illustrate this, Gates is eliminating older versions of Windows at a quick pace and forcing Windows users into buying newer versions. One of the lastest versions out is Windows XP - a product that has demonstrated the Microsoft strategy clearly. This software can only be licensed to run on one computer unlike Windows 95 or 98 that could be plugged into an unlimited number of pc's. Clearly, if you own a laptop and a pc, you cannot run XP on both machines unless you shell out a lot of money. This is too expensive a proposition for most people.One solution to this is users changing operating systems. Linux is an open-source operating system that many are looking into. It could be the OS of the future. It's fair to say, however, that Linux is far from "plug and play" as Windows is and while it is appropriate now for "power users", the typical user would be at a disadvantage trying to run it. With the older versions of Windows being retired (with respect Microsoft support to the user) and the next generation of Windows, dubbed Longhorn, becoming even more restrictive and overpowering, the future is uncertain. This information is outdated in that Longhorn was renamed Vista and is the current OS with Windows7 being available later in 2009.
Wow - obviously the above hasn't been updated for a while.

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Anti Virus Apps

I have used just about every AV out there and for my money the most suitable one for Windows XP is Microsoft Security Essentials - it is freeware. Note that your anti virus must be kept up to date to be effective. If you do not turn your computer off as I do you can set your anti virus to update while you sleep.

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Image Manipulation

Probably the most versatile Image Viewer and Manipulator is Irfanview. I use it and Photofiltre for the bulk of my graphics work .

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Computer Security

There are many aspects of computer security which includes firewalls, spam removal, cookie control, adware, and a host of others. Check my Security Page.

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E-Mail Clients and Addons

Everybody has their own favourite client so all you can do is try them and decide for yourself.

I suggest you find the client that works best for you and stick with it. My personal choice used to be Thunderbird and a helper called PopTray. I have moved on to Outlook.

Hackers love to concentrate on Outlook Express and purists (make that some purists) love to hate OE - you might want to try another client depending on your own sense of purity.

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  Long note follows (for newbies)
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Here's an updated Netiquette classic, for those tired of getting hoaxes and chain letters in their mailboxes.

E-Mail Facts Of Life 
Ver. 4.9    Updated Mar. 12, 2002

(Please save this message for future reference, and to send to anyone who insists on buying into and forwarding every "WARNING!", amazing offer, (formerly) hot joke or improbable story they receive.)

* Please see the following sites for more information about urban legends and Internet hoaxes:

http://www.nonprofit.net/hoax/hoax.html
http://www.urbanlegends.com/
http://urbanlegends.miningco.com/library/blbyolix.htm
http://urbanlegends.tqn.com/library/weekly/aa062997.htm
http://urbanlegends.about.com/culture/urbanlegends/
http://www.hoaxkill.com/index2.shtml

* Legitimate businesses do NOT advertise via spamming (sending unsolicited bulk e-mail ads -- e-junkmail). If you actually try to buy something from one of the fly-by-night frauds that does engage in this practice you are simply throwing away money. If you send one of these people your credit card number, or anything else for that matter, you *deserve* to get ripped off and added to 1200 spam mailing lists. And you will. If you have not personally dealt with the company in question before, satisfactorily, you have ZERO reason to trust them. Don't. And If you think you'll get rich advertising something via spamming, you are in for an unpleasant surprise. You'll probably get enough death threats to keep you having nightmares for months, and it'll be a miracle if your Internet access is not revoked by your Net service provider, with no refund, within about 15 minutes.

* Big companies don't do business via chain letter. Disney is not giving you a free vacation, you will not receive a free case of M&Ms, and neither Old Navy nor the GAP will send you a coupon. Likewise, there isn't any baby food company issuing class-action checks. Microsoft, AOL and Intel are not giving you money to send e-mail. No companies can tell who you are or aren't sending mail to. The Net simply does not work that way. You'd have no privacy at all if it did. And there is no Nigerian former general who'll make you rich if you send some money to help him out in the short term. If you have not PERSONALLY (i.e., you, yourself) verified the wacky promotional or investment scheme you've heard about with those allegedly responsible for it, you have no reason to believe in it. Don't.

* Just because someone said in the message, several forwarding generations back, "we checked it out and it's legit", does not actually make it true. The twit that wrote the hoax (and the "we checked it out" lie) is practically peeing him/herself from laughing so hard at everyone falling for it.

* If you ever get some kind of newsy tidbit off the net that generates a "wow, this is unbelievable" first reaction in you, trust that instinct. If it sounds too good, bad, or weird to be true, it probably is. Don't forward it around unless YOU verify it with trustable sources; otherwise it's almost certainly b.s. Even if the latest NASA rocket disaster(s) DID contain plutonium that went to particulate over the eastern seaboard, do you REALLY think this information would reach the public via an e-chainletter? Same goes for flesh-eating bacteria in bananas, and the "Klingerman virus" spreading like wildfire (it doesn't exist). A health risk that huge would be on every news show on every channel already, if it were real. You are not Walter Cronkite, and the world is definitely not looking to you to provide them with unverified "news" updates.

* Always be skeptical. Be extremely skeptical between March 25 and April 10. And if you pass on some incredible story that is actually dated April Fool's Day, you deserve every bit of abuse you're going to get. Speaking of holidays, we don't need your Christmas forwards, either.

* Craig Shergold in England is not dying of cancer or anything else at this time and would like everyone to stop sending their business cards and get-well-soon e-mail (to him, or to any foundation, hospital or other institution). He apparently is also no longer a "little boy". He DID get into the Guinness Book of World Records -- several years ago -- for having received the most letters in the world, and the daily bulging bags of cards and letters is a curse he and his family desperately want to be rid of. The dying kid story just isn't true, and this fact of e-life also goes for Greg Sherman, Kraig Shumacher, Chris Sherwood and all the other (non-existent) dying kids mentioned in a slew of hoaxes based on the original Shergold posts. And it still won't be true even if it looks like it came from the National Cancer Institute or the Make-a-Wish Foundation. These are both real institutions doing fine work, but they are as tired of this as we all are. The latter organization has had to establish a special toll free hotline in response to the large number of Internet hoaxes abusing their good name and reputation. It is distracting them from the important work they do. Don't be part of the problem.

* Neiman Marcus doesn't really sell a $200 cookie recipe. And even if they did, we all have it. And even if you don't, you can get a copy at: http://www.bl.net/forwards/cookie.html Then, if you make the recipe, and decide the cookies are that awesome, feel free to pass the recipe on. Without the silly (and false) story attached to it.

* There is no "modem tax" and there is no "bill 604p". Neither the Postal Service, the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, nor Congress (nor the Canadian, UK, or Australian parliamentary bodies) have any intention of imposing a tax, tarriff or surcharge on Internet or e-mail access. Your state public utilities commission isn't going to do it either. ISPs are NOT going to be charged long distance fees, nor will they pass this entirely imaginary cost onto consumers. If you see alerts about something like this, DELETE THEM, and tell the senders and all other recipients that it is a hoax. If something like this really did happen, it'd be in the newspaper, and you'd see bulletins from known, verifiable consumer organizations (probably beginning, "We know this sounds like that old 'modem tax' hoax...")

* If an action alert seems even slighly plausible, ask yourself whether you can tell what organization or individual issued it. Is there evidence to support the claims? Is the alert also posted on their Web site with documentation to back it up? Would you risk your own reputation by relying on the accuracy of what you've just read? For more information on what to look for in a legitimate action alert, and how to write one, see here:

http://www.eff.org/pub/Activism/action_alert.tips
http://www.eff.org/pub/Activism/bad_alert.example
http://www.eff.org/pub/Activism/alerts_online.faq
http://dlis.gseis.ucla.edu/people/pagre/alerts.html

* IF THE MESSAGE IS IN ALL CAPS, LIKE THIS and it isn't from your grandparents, just delete it immediately. It was written by some brat prankster who doesn't quite know how to type yet.

* If a message says anything to the effect of "this won't work unless you send it to at least 15 people", "you must copy this urgent action alert to EVERYONE you know", "this game won't work unless you send this e-snowball to everyone in your addressbook" or "please send this message to all your friends and family", the message is trash. Delete it now. It is stupid nonsense authored by an undersocialized nimrod with no friends, who is hoping to prey on your gullibility. You will not get a secret surprise (other than loss of friends because you keep sending them junkmail) for forwarding 11 copies of a joke or motivational message. (While the Net can't magically track your e-mail habits and reward you for spamming your acquaintances and family, it's too bad you can't be punished for it...)

* Don't you DARE forward "luck" chain letters, or any other kind of chain letter. We don't care how superstitious you are. You can relax; there is no need to pass the chain letter on "just in case it's true". These hoax chain letters exist to waste Net resources and people's time, nothing more. If you are one of those insufferable idiots who forwards anything that promises "something bad will happen if you don't re-send this", be aware that something bad will happen to you if you don't stop -- like losing friends, losing your Internet access by violating your ISP's Net abuse rules, having your mailbox flooded with angry responses, etc. Do you REALLY believe that some dork in Idaho cranking out annoying, menacing chain letters (or friendly, but even more annoying, "God loves you and will grant your prayer" chain letters) actually has the mystical ability to affect the course of your future? In that case, SEND ME $100 *RIGHT NOW* or your nose hair will grow to be 50 feet long! If you do not do this within 24 hours, your eyeballs will pop out of your head and sing Disney songs that summon a score of demonic vampire children to suck your blood! If you DO comply, you will become President in two weeks, and will sit at the right hand of God himself! For real! OBEY! OBEY! OBEY!

* Speaking of chain letters, please learn this and know it: pyramid scams DO NOT WORK. "Multi-level marketing" (MLM) scams DO NOT WORK. You will NOT make money. Such chain letters are actually illegal in many places. Don't participate in them.

* There is no kidney theft ring in New Orleans or Mexico. No one is waking up in a bathtub full of ice, even if a friend of a friend swears it happened to their cousin. If you are hellbent on believing the kidney-theft ring stories, please see:

http://urbanlegends.tqn.com/library/weekly/aa062997.htm

Relevant quote:

"The National Kidney Foundation has repeatedly issued requests for actual victims of organ thieves to come forward  &tell their stories. None have." That's "none," as in "ZERO". Not even your friend's supposed cousin. It all comes from a rather lackluster Miguel Ferrer movie.

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