The allure of cloud based services all come down to: Speed, Portability and Collaboration.

Not much credit is given to the speediness attributed to online service. At my day job, my e-mail is centered around Microsoft Outlook. However, outside of the office, I use Gmail. When you compare the search functionality of both, you’ll see there’s a huge difference in having one computer searching your e-mail, versus hundreds of servers crunching away at your query. Yes, Microsoft Outlook is improving with every iteration, but it’s no match compared to the search behemoth, Google, which is centered around retrieving desired information.

Portability also plays a pivotal role in the seductiveness of cloud computing. With services like Facebook and Twitter, I can keep up with my friends from any computer. Bloggers using WordPress and Blogspot can keep their creativity in motion without being limited to a single location or computer.  Multiple Internet based solutions allow people to store data online just as easily as it is stored on a USB drive.

This leads straight into collaboration. While at college, many classes required that group work.  Working on a class paper with 3 people hunched around the same screen was painful. However, with the use of Google Documents, working on the same paper was a breeze. We were no longer confined to working at the same time, in the same room. (It’s usability and features have increased since I graduated.) Couple that with other near real-time communication methods, such as Instant Messaging and Video Conferencing, and you have a venerable collaboration playground.

We haven’t even touched the fact that many of these services are reasonably priced (in many cases free). Regardless, the draw to applications that live outside of our computer, and even our physical network, is very strong. With so many reasons to shift toward more online based solutions, why would any individual or companies hesitate making the big plunge? I counter this with the question: why are individuals and companies so eager to move toward this Internet centric models?  Relying on services that live in the cloud have inherent risks.

The biggest concern is stability. If your preferred document editor stops working, there are options: repair the application, switch to another computer or use a different editor. What do you do if the Internet stops working? One of my favorite service, Gmail, is no exception. It has been subject to the same types of service outages and in some cases data loss.

Awareness should also be placed on the idea that data is placed in the cloud, there is no “undo” button. Yes, many services allow you to add and remove content. However, if you remove something, can you be certain its been completely eradicated?  Can you be sure that no one else has downloaded a copy of any media that, in hind sight, wasn’t the best to share with the world? What about any backups made by the Service provider or your ISP? No. You can’t.

My last concern revolves around longevity. Many services that run for an affordable, or even non-existent, price make no guarantees that they’ll be around forever. I’ve seen many services come and go. I really enjoyed Google Notebook. Delicious, a favored link sharing site, has an uncertain future as it is up on the Yahoo chopping block. Recently, Xmarks suffered a scare before it was acquired by LastPass. Whether the service is provided by a start-up or a well established multi-billion dollar company… if the it offered for free or your paying fifty dollars a month… you have no promise that what you use today, will be there tomorrow. (Read the EULA.)

This does not mean that we should shy away from web based services. It just means we need to be more cautious.  Here are a few parting tips:

1. Do Your Research: Verify how long the service has been around. Check out its competitors. See if there have been any major security concerns or frequent up-time issues. (Twitter Search is a great research tool.)
2. Ponder before your Publish: Determine the sensitivity of the information before it is placed on the Internet. Weigh the risks/benefits of proprietary information being unknowingly leaked out to the public.
3. Have an Exit Strategy: Make sure the service allows you to backup/export your data periodically. The format should be open and easily interpreted by another application or service. Map out, on paper, you plan B if your need to transition away from the service. (Update the transition document periodically as services, and competitors, change on a regular basis.)

Lastly, Welcome to the Social… and all the headaches it entails.

A key feature of Netflix video streaming is the familiar look and feel across various devices. Additionally, videos can be started on one device, stopped and concluded on another device. There is one feature Netflix video streaming lacks: the ability to organize streamable content into user specified categories… video libraries.This idea is not new. Think back to the day before video streaming was available. It was the era of the VHS tape.  Betamax was being fazed out and Laserdisc was a novelty item that would pave the way to DVDs.

No matter the media type, the personal video library was commonplace by the late-1980s. A shelf on the bookcase, or dedicated furniture, housed and organized various movies, TV shows, events, etc.. Enthusiasts used Excel Spreadsheets to make sense of it all. This paved the way toward specialized software (like Ant Move Catalog) to manage the awesome media expanses that exist today. But where is this functionality in one of the most popular video streaming services?

Netflix is not adverse to lists. Across all devices, Netflix provides a number of lists that cannot be modified by the customer. These lists are mostly recommendations broken down by various categories or based on recently viewed movies.

The only list the customer can edit is the Instant Queue. That’s one list that must be shared by an entire family. The Instant Queue quickly becomes the only way to keep track of new interests as well as manage favorite classics viewed on a regular basis.

Netflix needs to focus on enhancements to its site to help bolster support for steaming video online. Streaming video has potential for larger net profits when compared to their mail based disc delivery. Features that help transition households to its streaming centric service will be very variable.

Multiple personalized libraries within the Watch Instantly is a feature Netflix should strongly consider. It reduces transition anxiety. Customers don’t want to change the way they keep track of their favorite videos. They want something familiar to increase their confidence in an Internet based delivery system.

Customers benefit as they can now view their favorite cult classics. Children shows can be placed in their own collection. The Instant Queue goes back to its indented functionality. Most importantly, as the customer now has a vested interest in these libraries, they’re less likely to part ways with Netflix. It’s a win-win situation.

The company’s blog went on to explain that they’d come to this decision based on the company’s inability to monetize on the service. Additionally, finding a larger fish to purchase the services fell through. This is very unfortunate as Xmarks is considered to be ahead of the curve in the bookmark syncing community. The service’s greatest feature is that it can sync between computers and browsers. A feature which has attracted over 2 million users.

However, this isn’t the end of the story. Shortly after the announcement, Xmarks was inundated by their users pleas for continued service. The voice of the community exclaimed why Xmarks was far superior to Google Bookmarks, Firefox Sync, etc. Many members went as far as to comment on how much they’d be willing to pay to keep the service going.

This lead to yet another blog post from Xmarks. The company’s CEO, James Joaquin, went on to explain why they hadn’t automatically gone the paid service route.  He cited that there were a plethora of free alternatives. Native bookmark syncing support in Firefox (soon to be released 4.0), Google Toolbar and Google Chrome had made a significant impact in Xmark’s market share. Most importantly, changing the company’s revenue model would impact the entire company ecosystem.

James then went on to explain the costs involved in maintaining the Xmarks service. He also stated that they’d be willing to look into a premium service if there was enough interest. He set the bar at 100,000 users willing to pay $10 – $20 per year for the service. There’s even a pledge page. As of right now, they’re up to 19,000 pledges.

While the company is still short 80,000 pledges, the announcement has generated quite a bit of buzz. Recent activity on the CEO’s twitter account has indicated a huge outpouring of new companies interested in continuing the service.

The company’s future is still uncertain. It’d could be months until a new service comes around that touts the same features that we’ve come to know and love. Be sure to show your support for Xmarks.

It’s amazing how much time was needed to:

• Pick a new domain
• Pick a new WordPress Theme
• Customize the Theme

Picking a domain is far from easy. I would spend countless hours coming up with various domain names. Luckily, my amazing wife was there to help me weed through the domain names and pluck out the gems. She also did an amazing job helping me narrow down the WordPress Themes I’d pulled down and started to work with.

So, there you have it. It’s up and running. As with any new site launch, there are bound to be quirks. Also, I have quite a few more ideas on how I want to expand on the design. However, if you find any quirks, posts that didn’t transfer over properly or have suggestions, please, leave a comment.

Enjoy!

Video sites similar to YouTube and Hulu have been instrumental in showing the value of streaming video over the Internet. The public has proven they yearn to be free of the evening line-up and make TV fit their schedule rather than the other way around. Many broadcast companies and media outlets have added alternative methods for the distributing television shows, movies and other video content.

Current strides in multimedia delivery mechanisms are also showing the big conglomerates that consumers don’t always want to be tied to their computer when interacting with multimedia via the Internet.  Take for instance the Apple TV or Netflix‘s arrangement with Microsoft’s Xbox. People feel validated that they didn’t throw away $2,000.00 on a new flat panel, high definition TV. Let’s face it, the couch in front of the TV is more comfortable than the chair in front of the computer. Plus, it seats more.

My family has been enjoying (and by using I mean paying for) Netflix in conjunction with out Xbox for well over a year. (Netflix requires that you have an “unlimited plan” and Xbox requires you have a Gold membership. Very inexpensive for what you get.) Yes, we still enjoy receiving DVDs in the mail and actively manage our Netflix queue; but we’ve elected to receive only one movie at a time. I see little to no difference in the quality of a DVD in hand versus the same movie streamed to my home. DVDs allow us to see deleted scenes and outtakes. However, the streaming side of it means that we don’t have to tie up our Netflix queue with a few TV shows for our son. Wow does he love Kipper!

Netflix has really pushed ahead of its competitors. More and more Netflix enabled devices are being sold in the market. I’m not just talking about black boxes that connect to the Internet and your TV like the Roku. Some televisions are coming with Netflix baked right in!

I really hope companies like Netflix, Hulu, Boxee, Microsoft and Apple continue to forge forward and break new ground. We can’t get complacent because we’re not just there yet. These technologies are friendly to most, but not to all. One annoyance that pops up is the lack of subtitles.   Enthusiasts still want to be able to access the deleted scenes, outtakes and commentaries associated with the movies and TV series. Most importantly, there’s too much fracturing and bickering as to the delivery mechanism. There’s no one central place to get all of your movies and shows due to fragmentation. Not all of them are TV friendly.

Let me clarify that last point. I think it’s essential that media companies have their own methods for distributing their content. However, it’s just as important that they allow third party hardware and software vendors distribute that content as well. This allows the public to choose how they receive content rather than being forced to have multiple devices in their living room.

Mark my words. Our culture is moving away from physical media. Just as the current generation has thousands of songs and very few CDs, so it will be with the next generation with movies and TV shows.

Of all the tasks that a re-installation entails, the one that caused me the most friction was restoring my bookmarks. Our family uses multiple browsers, on multiple computers. While losing them wouldn’t be the end of the world, it’d mean the loss of a database of information that’s taken years to build.

This lead to my discovery of Xmarks (formally known as Foxmarks).  Of all the features that Xmarks has to offer, these stood out:

1. Xmarks is easy to use
2. Xmarks works with multiple browsers
3. Xmarks syncs bookmarks between computers (using SSL)
4. Xmarks allows me to access my bookmarks online

Xmarks is easy to install and use. You’ll need to create an account with Xmarks. Once that’s complete, you’re up and running. Periodically, the Xmarks application connects to it’s servers and checks to see that all the bookmarks you’ve collected are saved.

Since Xmarks stores your bookmarks online, it’s great for keeping bookmarks synchronized between computers. If I do some internet research using the laptop in the morning, but in the evening my wife is using the laptop, it’s not a problem. I jump onto my desktop machine and away I go. In addition to that, if you select the SSL synchronization method (and I always recommend doing that), I know that the communication between my computer and Xmark’s servers will be encrypted and secure.

When it’s time to reinstall my computer, or setup shop on a new one, recovering my bookmarks is a breeze. I install the Xmarks software and let it pull down my bookmarks to the computer.

I usually don’t take my laptop (or desktop for that matter) to work. Every once and a while, that puts me in a pinch if I need to remember some neat coding trick that I learned at home, but could apply to work. Luckily, if I log into my Xmarks portal, I can search for the bookmark I’m looking for.

While I’m a fan of Xmarks, it may not be right for everyone. Xmarks, just like every other company, needs to pay its bills and staff. The way they do this is by creating their own search/recommendation engine based on everyone’s bookmarks. If you think about it, it’s a brilliant idea.  And if you’re not interested in searching what Xmarks has to offer, or being offered recommended sites, this can be disabled in the settings area.

Now, if you’ve got highly sensitive URLs, make sure that you log into Xmark’s website and opt-out of contributing to the bookmark database. This means that your bookmarks will still be synced online, but they won’t be used when sites are recommended to other people.  It’s very important to remember, even though you’ve opted out, your bookmarks are still out there in the internet. Anyone with access to Xmark’s database of bookmarks (that includes Xmarks staff and persons that could potentially gain illegal access) can peruse around everyone’s links. Just do what you’re most comfortable with, and doesn’t violate any of the network/privacy rules where you work.

Personally, I don’t like the “all in” or “all out” method for contributing to Xmark’s bookmark database. There are plenty of URLs that I have no problem sharing. I’d just like to have a bit more control, at a granular level, over which websites I place in the bookmark database.

Since Xmarks stores your account username and password, don’t install it on a public computer.  You may also want to have separate profiles or accounts to keep your personal bookmarks separate from the bookmarks you use for work.

Overall, Xmarks is a great addition to my web browsing experience. It’s simple to use, relatively secure and very useful in a multi-computer environment. For me, it’s a must have!

This article is not meant to highlight the need for tighter programming practices, the constant bombardment of patches pushed into users’ faces or a need to move to a more secure alternative. These are all valid points that deserve consideration in the future. Rather, I would dive into the reasons behind “patching” and the imperative need for users to keep their systems up-to-date.

In any programming project, the bigger the undertaking, the larger the amount of resources that needs to be managed. In the case of Windows, this titan weighs in at 40 million lines of code. Over the course of the past twenty some years, the concept and design has been the work of thousands of people including Software Engineers, Quality Assurance Testers and so forth. If we focus on Software Engineers alone, we’ll see that they come from all walks of life. Having a wide variety of employees leads to age gaps, differences in programming styles and varying knowledge levels in the art of programming. By grouping them into various divisions, teams and work groups, Microsoft manages to get many different pieces of software out to the consumers. But even with a workforce this massive, the building blocks are still the individual people; people with flaws, bad days, knowledge gaps and demanding tasks deadline. Ultimately, this can lead to flaws in programs we use every day.

These flaws, also known as bugs, are greatly varied. Some bugs are very small that they are barely noticeable. Other flaws might prevent a program from operating properly or even at all. Critical bugs are those which if exploited, would give unauthorized users complete and possibly undetectable access to a computer and all the information it contains. An exploit is another name for a way a bug can be used to gain access to a system or make it do things it normally would not. (Wikipedia has a much better explanation.)

There are many ways in which bugs are discovered. Before a company officially releases a software product, it generally go through rigorous internal testing. After the official release, bug may be discovered by research companies or in the worst case, hackers. Each discovered imperfection is categorized, prioritized and cataloged. The severity of the flaw greatly affects when it will be fixed, tested and released to the masses. For instance, a bug where the background picture is off color has a lower severity than an issue with Windows permits a computer to be compromised.

There are two possible scenarios that exist when bugs are found in Microsoft Windows or one of Microsoft’s tightly nit programs such as Internet Explorer. The best case situation is that the flaw is fixed and distributed to the public before it can be exploited. The less friendly scenario occurs when hackers with nefarious intentions discover the flaw and start attacking computers before a patch can be released. Amazingly enough, the best case situation isn’t the most perfect. This is because Microsoft has empowered the user to decide how and when patches are applied to the Operating System. This makes sense in some cases, but not the general case. When patches are released, Microsoft strongly encourages everyone to download and apply them.

But why the urgency? Why should a patch be applied right away? Could it really hurt to hold off a day or so? The answer is a resounding YES! When a patch for Windows it is available to the general public and doesn’t exclude any particular group, such as hackers. Hackers immediately begin to tear into the patch to find out what is being patched and how. By doing this, they can easily understand (reverse engineer) the flaw and exploit it to gain unrestricted access to all computers in the world which have not applied the patch. For example, there were patches released the beginning of April for Microsoft Windows and Internet Explorer. Exploits appeared on the Internet within three days of the patch’s release.

The same issue which plagues Microsoft Windows also affects other mainstream programs. Another example would be Microsoft Office. Various exploits have been found in all the Microsoft Office applications which can allow hackers to compromise machines by opening Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents created with the intention of exploiting certain bugs. An e-mail specifically designed to take advantage of a flaw in Outlook can easily give hackers and open door to your computer.

The key is to stay ahead of the hackers. One way to make sure your computer stays up to date is by turning on Microsoft Automatic Updates. This can be done from the Control Panel and opening System Properties. Once there, click the Automatic Updates tab and select the Automatic (recommended) setting. Most people choose the “Every day at 3:00am” option.

When it comes to Automatic Updates, “Set it and forget it” doesn’t apply here. Users should visit Microsoft Update on a regular basis to verify that there are no outstanding critical updates for Windows and Office. (If you don’t see a category for Office patches, there should be an option on the right to allow Microsoft Update to patch all Microsoft Products, including Microsoft Office.) Also, the Windows Firewall should be on by default.

Lastly, Automatic Updates, Firewalls and Anti-Virus software should be considered second line defenses. The first line of defense is the person sitting in front of the computer. Beware where you surf. Don’t say “YES” to a pop-up just because it’s too confusing to understand. Don’t open unexpected attachments in e-mails. Try to use common sense and if you have questions, ask or Google for answers.

If a majority of the computer in the world were kept up to date the amount of computer issues would reduce. There would be less botnet activity. Spam would decrease along with identity theft and other untold horrors.

Hulu.com is the combine efforts of various television networks and movie studios to compete with the YouTube and YouTube look-a-likes. One of the major struggles between major networks and video content sites is the control of copyrighted content. People want to be able to post clips and mash ups of their favorite shows whereas networks want to make money from their copyrighted material. If the networks can’t control the content, how can they monetize on the material?

Hulu.com makes its money from advertisements, similar to TV commercials. Each time you view a video, it’s preceded by a commercial, and if the video is long enough, may have commercial breaks. What makes these commercials tolerable, is the fact that there is a count down timer showing the amount of time left in the commercial. Oh, and while you can fast forward and rewind the videos, you cannot do so during commercials. New text/picture based sponsors are appearing on the site but I don’t find these intrusive either.

At the time of its public launch, Hulu.com had been populated with a wide variety of clips, complete TV episodes and a few movies. Even now it continues to amass more episodes and movies as it acquires additional distribution rights. Additionally, Hulu.com has a plan for adding new episodes to the series it hosts. Each new episode is added after it plays in Hawaii.

Access to new TV shows is an instant plus, there is another clear win here as well. Hulu.com is also populating its service with older shows. I’ve really enjoyed watching some episodes from shows I watched when I was a kid, such as Airwolf and The A-Team. If I had wanted to watch these elsewhere, I would need to buy each season or rent it. I would much rather watch the commercials rather than dishing out any money to see these shows.

Hulu.com has implemented this media content site very well. The ease of use and quality of content is very compelling. However, having controlled content does have its risks. The site is only populated with content approved by the cooperating networks and movie studios. Users are unable to add their own mash-ups and mixes to the site. Additionally, Hulu.com needs to weed through the red tape in order to add new/vintage content. This takes time.

The features available in Hulu.com seem to run along the same lines as any other media distribution site. It allows you to rate episodes and movies. Streamed videos can be seen as is, in a separate box or even full-screen. Likewise, preferred content can be distributed to social groups via e-mail or some other popular social networking sites such as Facebook, StumbleUpon and Digg. Users may also create play lists of videos they wish to watch. All these features look great, but there are no new innovations.

One of the features I wish to see developed relates to RSS. (If you’re unsure what I mean by RSS, have a look at this article I wrote.) In this instance, I found as I looked at the “Recently Added” and “Most Popular” categories for TV Episodes (not clips) and Movies, there was a friendly RSS symbol in my browser. I thought to myself: “How neat! Perhaps I can subscribe to feeds to specific TV Shows. Or, see when new Movies are posted.” Alas, I was disheartened. While the pages of these areas offer specific information I was looking for, the RSS Feeds are not as granular. Meaning, if I subscribed to the Recently Added Movies feed, I received a feed that listed all new content as it was added. Movies would be mixed in with newly added TV Shows and Clips.

Overall, Hulu.com is impressive with a vast amount of potential. This is the way TV was meant to be. The content should fit around the peoples schedule rather than the other way around. Now, just get it to stream to my XBOX360 and I will be ecstatic!

Here are some other shows available on Hulu.com that I recommend: Firefly, Eureka, The Pretender and the Original Battlestar Galactica.

UPDATE: Thank you to Ilya, a software engineer at Hulu, for an insightful comment.

In this modern age, we’ve learned how to adapt technology to provide us with comfort and ease of movement. Personal cars allow us to go from point A to point B at our own leisure. The introduction of personalized CDs, iPods and MP3 players allow us to listen to what we want, when we want.

The bottom line is that the world where we were small and insignificant is gone. We no longer revolve around our world, it revolves around us. While the moral and social implications of such a shift would make a great debate, I would prefer to touch a different subject. Podcasts. This is a great example of the shift I’m referring to. There are many people that enjoy listening to radio hosts as they talk about various subjects ranging from the local news to the darker side of Hollywood. One unfortunate draw back is that the radio show comes on at a certain time of the day. In order to listen to it, you’ll need to arrange your schedule around it. Podcasts follow the same concept, but provide the listener the ability to listen in on their own terms.

Podcasts, or podcasting, is an emerging technology. By emerging, I don’t mean new; rather, it is becoming more popular and mainstream. People have placed audio files on the Internet for years. The ability to organize and broadcast the availability of new audio files also existed. However, I would argue that it didn’t take off until Apple took the music market by storm with its iTunes software and iPod media device. iTunes provides users the ability to sync songs with their iPod. Not only that, they can purchase songs as well as subscribe to podcast feeds. The word “podcast” was first introduced by taking Apple’s iPod trademark and mingling it with the word “broadcast.” (This has actually sparked some debate as to who owns the prefix pod-, but that is yet another subject I don’t wish to touch.)

Apple’s iTunes, mixed with it’s iPod, created an easy way to subscribe to various “internet radio shows” which could be copied to the iPod for later listening. As I said before, this isn’t a new concept or technology. Other software developers have also created software (in some cases, they’re available for free), which would allow a person to do the same thing with any portable media device (MP3 Player).

There are ups and downs to any software. If you own an iPod, iTunes is the best bet. However, if you’re like me, and have invested in a less expensive device (Sandisk m240), there are a plethora of other options. Of all the many, many, many options out there, I’m a fan of Juice along with Media Monkey. I feel they provide me with the best technical experience. But my ideal experience may not line up with yours. Experiment with various options before settling on one. (Juice downloads podcasts into a directory that Media Monkey watches. Media Monkey will then add and remove files to my MP3 player as I add and remove them from my hard drive.)

If you don’t know what you’re doing, don’t want to worry about it, just want “it” to work and have the cash, get an iPod. If you’re on a limited budget and are willing to get your hands dirty, don’t get an iPod.

After you settle into your new multimedia experience environment, start looking for podcasts which fit your persona. I’ve found that many of the radio and news shows in my area provide an audio recording of the show in podcast form. To the right, you’ll find a few of my favorites which deal with a more technical genre.

Any vehicle we have in our family must be able to handle a portable media player. (Driving with headphones is illegal in most states.) There are a plethora of car stereos which provide you with an auxiliary input (looks like a headphone jack) which will allow you to pipe your iPod or MP3 player into your car’s sound system. If your car doesn’t have one, upgrading a car stereo can be very simple… especially when they can be installed for free by the store where you purchase it from. (Very important… find out what the parts will cost. Some cars with an integrated audio bus can cost an extra $400 dollars.) If your car has a cassette deck, a $20 adapter will provide you with the same functionality.

I find the commute to work is fun and mind-engaging with podcasts. The radio hosts work on my timetable. I can play, pause, rewind and fast forward at any time. The best part, I’m not a slave to the mindless dribble that comes from my car radio while I drive.

The most common misuse of e-mail is forwarding e-mails. I for one enjoy receiving the occasional joke or picture sent by a friend or colleague. In some cases we rush to forward this to share with other friends. Two more common groups of e-mail received can be categorized as a Chain Letter and the other of Impending Doom. The Chain Letter is generally a story or joke which end with a catch. In order to avoid bad luck, you must forward the e-mail to as many people as possible. The second group, Impending Doom, warns all of a coming tragedy and that you must warn all that will head these words.

In order to make your e-mail experience that much richer, please allow me to make the following suggestions.

Think Before You Forward

When forwarding an e-mail message, make sure you’re forwarding it for the right reasons. Forwarding a message should have a specific reason. Don’t just do it to prove to everyone in your address book that you’re still alive. Receiving only forwarded e-mail messages from friends generally gives the feeling that they’re too busy to bother with a personal message. So, before you forward that e-mail, think about why you’re sending it to certain people.

Add a Personal Touch

In order to avoid the feeling that your forwarding an e-mail just for the heck of it, add a personal touch. Above the forwarded e-mail explaining why you forwarded the e-mail and how it relates to its targeted recipients.

Verify Your Facts

All too often, people receive an e-mail with a plea to forward information to everyone you know. It’s been common to use viruses, kidnappings and general information as the subject. Before blindly following the instructions of the e-mail, verify the facts. Not everything on the Internet is true.

One of my personal favorite websites is Snopes. This site does its very best to keep up to date on the latest rumors that float around the Internet. They verify whether if the rumor is true or not. If you spend some time searching (more than 2 minutes) you can usually find any subject.

Strip Out Personal Information

If you’ve ever seen a long forwarded e-mail message, it’s generally not been due to the content. It’s usually filled with headers. A header is part of the e-mail that prefaces who the e-mail is from, where it’s going and what the subject was. Sometimes even more bits of information will be included. Before forwarding an e-mail message along, be sure to clean it up a bit so that the recipients will not need to scroll all the way down to the end of the e-mail.

Use BCC

BCC means Blind Carbon Copy. Any e-mail address in this area will not be seen when the e-mail arrives at its target. This is a great way to send people e-mails without divulging a mountain of personal information. There’s a good reason for this and it all comes down to viruses. Viruses come in all shapes and sizes. Some viruses exploit your e-mail address book. Some viruses will even search through your e-mail in order to find more people to attack. They can use that list to send harmful e-mail messages to unsuspecting victims. This is another reason why e-mails should be cleaned up before the send button is pressed. One good idea would be to put your own e-mail address in the TO box. Then you can put all your intended recipients in the BCC box.

Beware Attachments

E-mail has the wonderful ability of carrying files along with the message. Many comical e-mail messages I’ve received contain pictures files. Just remember that not all files are safe. Sometimes, a virus can be contained in relatively safe looking files. We all know that if a file ends in .EXE or .ZIP, then it’s very suspicious. Recently, flaws have been found in other programs. Take for instance Microsoft Word or PowerPoint. These files will look just fine when you open them. They will show you the PowerPoint presentation you were intended to see. They can also secretly execute code and install malicious software on your computer without asking. This is even very difficult for anti-virus software can catch. Be very careful in what you open. Viruses are getting more difficult to remove and the last thing you want to do is format your computer.

Conclusion

E-mail is fun. E-mail is exciting. E-mail will remain that way as long as you put personal effort into it!