At 10:46 AM -0700 8/29/03, Bruce Whittington wrote:
>I think the original point here was to identify emails from
>like-minded people (which would not be intentionally harmful), which
>makes it easier to identify and delete those from unknown people
>(which could be intentionally harmful). We know it doesn't prevent
>viruses, it just helps.

And the counter-point is that the viruses can forge both sender and
subject, so there is no way to tell who an email is really from
without seeing the contents.

>Also, though I am no expert, I thought some viruses could infect
>computers solely by viewing the email in the preview pane of email
>programs. Another reason to delete messages from unknown senders
>before you even see the content of the email. And yes, honest people
>can unwittingly send viruses.

I believe that's true, and it's a good reason to turn off the preview
pane. Nevertheless, there has to be an executable file (which has to
be executed) for infection to occur. And there is no way to include
an executable file in the body (text) of an email, it has to be an
attachment. An email with no attachment cannot spread a virus.

>It's all part of the reason I switched to Mac, but Macs can still
>spread virus files to PCs, so I'm game for anything that helps.

I'll second the vote for Macs, and add that the only way to spread
viruses from Mac to PC is by using Microsoft products which have not
been properly secured. If you pass on Outlook, Explorer, and Office,
the chance of virus transmission is nil, and there are alternatives
which are file-compatible without the security issues.
--
Rob Saecker
rsaecker at thurston.com