and I also got an email from myself once that was infected (someone had my azif and jsb address in addressbook...)

But I don't care... if Brian doesn't use anti-virus software and has never used anti-virus software... guess what??? He probably has a virus.

Someone else recently on this board had what? 6????? DIFFERENT viruses?? He has since then fixed the problem - but until EVERYONE GETS AND USES (CORRECTLY) ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE - we can not get the problem under control.

It is unfair and irresponsible to expect the people who use virus-protection to shoulder the responsibility of keeping non-protected computers safe.

We do thread ater thread on this... and it is my opinion THAT IF YOU DO NOT HAVE - AND KNOW HOW TO USE CORRECTLY - A REPUTABLE ANTIVIRUS PROGRAM - YOU SHOULD NOT BE ON THE INTERNET. PERIOD. CASE CLOSED.

It USED to be ok to "simply" not open attachments from people you don't know.
THIS IS NOT THE CASE ANYMORE and hasn't been for a long time. Viruses come in through websites, chatrooms and signatures at the bottom of emails... They are so smart... they infect people by finding email addresses ANYWHERE on a computer and sending infected emails to people in hopes they will "recognize" the name, thus the receiver trusts it because it is someone they know.

I will be happy (and I have made this offer again and again) to call ANYONE at my expense - or have you call me... for some Virus 101 if you don't understand how viruses work - or how to protect your computer.

Here's a test for those WITH Anti-Virus software:
IF YOU DON'T KNOW what a " .dat file " is... or you don't know "how to update your dats", then my guess is you probably are NOT using your anti-virus program correctly.

If you read that last paragraph and think "what do you mean?", then you need a phone call from me - or SOMEONE - PLEASE!!