Re: virus - you've still got it! - please send in ASCII, not H.T.M.L.

[Peter Evans peterev@xxxxxxxx]

Michael Edwards:

>I suspect I didn't get infected because I'm using Windows 95 and
>Internet Explorer 4.0 (not 5.0) and Outlook Express 4.72.2106.4,
>which I gather is an older version.

I suspect so too. Just avoid Microsoft's blandishments to "upgrade" to the
latest and daftest versions of their programs. (Though to give MS their
due, even they are said to be becoming worried about the risks of Outlook
Express and Outlook Slug, so forthcoming versions might be safer.) Or turn
VBS off, etc etc.

>In fact, I think generally it would be good practice for all
>e-mail to be sent in plain text only. Worth considering,
>perhaps? How do others on this list feel about this?

You're very welcome to send e-mail in any format you and your recipients
like. However, the parody of HTML produced by Outlook and others is so
bloated that its mere flab quotient should bar it from mailing lists. As
an example, here's a typical, worm-irrelevant part of an HTML message:

> It will be interesting to see if anti-vrus programs can
> find fault with this e-mail.
> 
 
> 
    I can
> assure the group I am not a prankster or malicious.

Horrible!

>I'm getting quite paranoid about viruses and thinking
>seriously about unsubscribing from all mailing lists,
>because they're just too dangerous

Before succumbing to paranoia, see http://kumite.com/myths/ . Even if
people send messages with "viruses" (worms, etc.) to mailing lists, there's
no need to be affected by them.

(There is a great danger of mailing lists: that the addresses can easily be
scavenged and then used by spammers. That's why I'm thinking of leaving
and resubscribing with an address from http://www.despammed.com/ .)

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Peter Evans