In a message dated 12/24/2004 2:17:29 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, [email protected] writes:
Now, if you're still plinking around on AOL or other dialup services, it's time to look into broadband. Hey, Loran I live in a rural area, and dial-up is the only affordable service I can get. Those of us who are AOL dial-up users know we are at the back of the Internet whiz-bang line. Cheapshotting us is like smacking babies. I use a T-1 fiber-optic setup at work, and yes, its speed is addictive. I would love to have it at home, but it ain't happenin' right now. I have tried Ad-Aware and Spybot. I think Ad-Aware might have a slight edge, because of its more frequent updates. I have found Ad-Aware to be even more effective than programs from name-brand companies, like McAfee. Ad-Aware, from Lavasoft, is one of the best deals around. The third and latest version of AOL 9.0 comes with antivirus software, and an anti-spyware program. I think they offer a free firewall too. (I already had a firewall when theirs came out, so I didn't get theirs). It is also rare for me to get spam of any kind. If any of you are still puttering around on the net without a firewall, please listen to Loran and get one. If you get a firewall that records the number of attacks your machine has to fend off, you will be astounded by the number of people who want to hack into your machine, and/or take it over. I recently cleaned up a very slow machine used by students in the school where I work. The kids found a way to circumvent the machine's security software, go online, and get to sites that were not "approved." (They are ingenious little brats). The poor machine had 500+ spyware programs on it, and over 1,000 viruses. Happy New Year to everyone! Randy
