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Leo's Answers #147 - October 7, 2008
Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:00:00 +0400
Leo's Answers
A Weekly Newsletter From
Ask Leo!
Leo Notenboom
I
will be 81 next June & I enjoy reading your letter very much!
-Kenneth
Hello!
If you're having problems with the formatting of this newsletter in
email it's always available on the web here: http://ask-leo.com/currentnewsletter.html
Share Me!
Do you know someone who would benefit from this newsletter? Forward
it to them! (See below for details.)
Did someone forward this email to you? Subscribe to get
Leo's Answers in your own inbox every week.
*** Contents
This Week's New Articles on Ask Leo!
A Word from our Sponsor
Featured Comments
This Week's Most Popular Articles
Leo Recommends
Popular Articles from the Archives
Thoughts and Comments
Newsletter Administration
*** This Week's New Articles on Ask Leo!
Do I need a new computer to keep up with my faster internet
connection?
I just upgraded my internet service from 1.5 mbps to 7.0 mbps. I
called tech support because I felt my computer is still running slow.
The tech support says I may need a get new computer to be compatible
with the 7.0 mbps.
I purchased my computer in July 2004. How often should one buy a new
computer?
I heard that company A's service is faster than company B's. What do
you think about that?
With all due respect to tech support - they're wrong.
Your four year old computer should be able to keep up just fine with
a 7 megabit connection. Heck, 10 or 15 years ago it wasn't uncommon for
slower computers on a faster 10 megabit Ethernet connection without
problems.
Let's look at what might really be happening.
Continue reading:
"Do I need a new computer to keep up with my faster internet
connection?"
http://ask-leo.com/do_i_need_a_new_computer_to_keep_up_with_my_faster_internet_connection.html
* * *
I have an old, old program I need to run in Vista, but it
won't. Is there a way?
We use Visual BASIC for DOS, ver 1.0, to compile BASIC programs on
Win 98SE and Win XP computers. The compiler doesn't work in Vista. Is
there some way in which we can get the compiler to work under Vista? If
the programs are compiled in XP, the programs run on Vista.
Boy, now there's a blast from the past. It's quite possible that you
might actually be using software that I had a hand in creating, many
years ago.
I can't guarantee that this will work for any specific program (like
VB-DOS), but Vista does include some compatibility tricks that may be
able to help.
Continue reading:
"I have an old, old program I need to run in Vista, but it won't. Is
there a way?"
http://ask-leo.com/i_have_an_old_old_program_i_need_to_run_in_vista_but_it_wont_is_there_a_way.html
* * *
Is a backup an alternative to having no Windows installation
CDs?
I took your advice and purchased an external hard drive and Acronis
backup software. Now, as a novice, I bought my desktop with Windows XP
Media Edition pre-installed (no CD's). Since I am now backing up my
whole Hard disk, am I safe if something bad happens with the operating
system? (Referring to a
recent question on missing or corrupt windows file.)
First, let me say "good for you" for having a backup solution,
regardless of what solution you chose. That already puts you ahead of
the game compared to most other computer users.
A full initial backup is an excellent safety net and can cover for
not having installation CDs in many cases. However, from the way I
worded that you can probably guess that there may be issues, but the
good news is that they're rare.
Let's review the best way to use a full backup in a case like
this.
Continue reading:
"Is a backup an alternative to having no Windows installation
CDs?"
http://ask-leo.com/is_a_backup_an_alternative_to_having_no_windows_installation_cds.html
* * *
Am I stealing someone else's IP address by resetting my
router?
I'm using DSL and I have a router, and I have a static IP. So one
day I restarted my router manually by pressing a button on the back.
Now my IP address has changed. I told my friend I had done this and he
says I've made a huge mistake. He says I'm essentially stealing another
person's IP address on the ISP. Is it true that I am committing a crime
by changing my IP address by simply restarting my router?
No, you're not.
What your friend fails to realize is something very fundamental to
how IP addresses work.
You don't take an IP address; an IP address is
given to you.
Continue reading:
"Am I stealing someone else's IP address by resetting my
router?"
http://ask-leo.com/am_i_stealing_someone_elses_ip_address_by_resetting_my_router.html
* * *
How do I recover a corrupt system file if my Windows was
pre-installed?
I have Windows XP home media edition. The message reads: "Windows
could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt -
<windows root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe Please re-install a copy of
the above file." The computer came with pre-installed Windows. All I
have is recovery disks. I already lost all of my data once and I can
not afford to lose it again. Please advise. I also spent hours looking
for an answer on the internet. I saw nothing that could solve my
problem.
I've addressed this and similar questions here several times before,
but I want to revisit this because there are two important reminders
that arise out of addressing this situation.
The first, of course, is that even if Windows is pre-installed you
should always get the installation, not recovery, CDs
when you buy a new machine.
Why manufacturers think it's a good idea not to provide them
automatically is beyond me.
Continue reading:
"How do I recover a corrupt system file if my Windows was
pre-installed?"
http://ask-leo.com/how_do_i_recover_a_corrupt_system_file_if_my_windows_was_preinstalled.html
* * *
Does a sandbox or virtual machine help protect your
privacy?
I've been very interested in your articles on what a website can
learn about you when browsing, cookies, and passwords etc. I wonder if
you would like to comment on the pros and cons of using a sandbox (I
use Sandboxie). Does using one overcome some of the issues you have
discussed?
I'm going to add virtual machines to the mix that this question
opens up, since the answer is (roughly) the same.
And the answer is that age old trio: yes, maybe and no.
The problem is that while sandboxes and VM's can help, they can help
only in some ways, and that help comes at a cost.
Continue reading:
"Does a sandbox or virtual machine help protect your
privacy?"
http://ask-leo.com/does_a_sandbox_or_virtual_machine_help_protect_your_privacy.html
*** A Word from our Sponsor
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Advertisement.
Ask Leo about advertising
here.
*** Featured Comments
A sampling of some of the comments that have been posted recently on
Ask Leo!
* * *
Can I remove a link from Google using robots.txt?
Habteleul Wubayehu writes:
I post my CV to http://expatjobs.com. This site in turn
posts my CV on google search engine. I really feel bad. My name is
Habteleul. If you searched this name using google, you will get my CV.
How can I remove it from this page. Thanks.
The short answer is that you probably can't. Once something is out
on the internet it's copied and mirrored and archived in so many places
that removal next to impossible. Check out this article:
How do I remove myself from the search engines?
- Leo
*
How
else can websites get my information?
Matthew Mapleton writes:
Leo: One thing I've noticed looking at cookie files is that they
feature your windows login name in the file name itself. Do websites
see your windows login name by virtue of their cookies? If so, do they
record it or correlate it with other data, such as IP addresses?
Excellent observation. No they do not. That's simply the filename
used by the browser.
I believe the username is an artifact of an old approach to
identification used by websites that required a particular type of
login. If a website required a particular type of login you used to be
able to go to http://username<at>somerandomservice.com/ (replacing <at> with @) and be logged in
as username (or be prompted for a password). Cookies would then be
tracked separately for that username. For sites not requiring
authentication I believe this is ignored. This approach is no longer
supported in Internet Explorer, as it was being exploited by
phishers.
- Leo
*
What
can a website I visit tell about me?
Rondi Phillips writes:
In a previous newsletter, you challenged your readers to google
themselves and see what they find. Well, I did, and I was shocked!
There was even a reference to a response I made to one of your
newsletters! The problem is I have an unusual name, and when I want to
post a comment on your website, it asks for my name (required). I take
it I can't use a fake name, so what should I do?
It depends on what you want to accomplish.
I too have a unique name - unique enough that all the results of
searching on it are related to me somehow. Things like commenting on
websites like this one don't bother me, and I use my real name. Doesn't
matter to me if that shows up in a search result.
If it's some place I do care, I do use a fake name. Even here, while it
asks for your name you can still make one up if you want. Just means
that if I contact you I'll call you by that fake name.
So in general, use a fake name, or no name at all, when you think it
might matter. The most important point of all is to be aware that
what's posted online stays online for a long, long time.
- Leo
*** This Week's Most Popular
The ten most popular articles in the last 7 days on Ask Leo!
How
do I make a new MSN Hotmail account?
How do I delete history items from my Google tool bar?
How do I put a picture in a comment on myspace.com?
My desktop Recycle Bin has disappeared - why, and how do I get it
back?
Why is my Task Manager disabled, and how do I fix it?
Can I send text messages between a computer and a cell phone?
I accidentally deleted my Recycle Bin in Vista - how do I get it
back?
How
do I change my MSN Hotmail password?
What are the POP3 and SMTP settings for Hotmail?
How do I
delete my Hotmail account?
*** Leo Recommends
What Security Software do you Recommend?
What anti-virus software should I use? How about a firewall? And
what about spyware? Should I use one of the all-in-one packages that
claim to do it all?
As you might imagine, I get these questions all the time. As a
result, I do have recommendations in various articles on the site.
Here's the short version that sums it all up.
Continue reading: "What
Security Software do you Recommend?"
http://ask-leo.com/what_security_software_do_you_recommend.html
I recommend it.
•
Each week I recommend a specific product or resource that
I've found valuable and that I think you may as well.
What does my recommendation mean?
*** Popular Articles from the Archives
This seems particularly relevant once
again as the United States heads towards its presidential election in a
few weeks...
Why are internet petitions a bad idea?
A
mailing list I'm on encouraged all its readers to go to a web site and
sign an internet petition supporting some legislation we care about. I
mentioned that to a friend of mine, and his opinion was that I'd been
duped, and that it was a scam. Is he right? Are internet petitions a
scam?
Some are. Some aren't. But they do, in my opinion, share a common
characteristic:
Most are ineffectual.
And that can actually cause more harm that good.
Let me explain why that is...
Continue reading...
Why are
internet petitions a bad idea?
http://ask-leo.com/why_are_internet_petitions_a_bad_idea.html
*** Thoughts and Comments
In last week's newsletter I mentioned that there were some "changes a'brewin",
though not related to Ask Leo!
Last Wednesday we announced that my wife's business is
closing after 14 years in business.
For us, that's big. Dolls and Friends has been a big part of our lives, but
it's finally time for my wife to retire and for us to have a little
more flexibility and free time. Ask Leo! can happen anywhere (I've
often joked about "Ask Leo! World Headquarters" actually being my
laptop - wherever it is, there I am), but a retail business
selling and shipping dolls isn't nearly as portable.
A big decision, but we're looking forward to what comes next.
If you're curious, there's a FAQ,
of course.
* * *
'till next time...
Leo A. Notenboom
* * *
A selection of Leo's articles are available for free re-use at
http://articlesbyleo.com.
You can also subscribe to Ask Leo! on your Kindle.
Perhaps you'd like some Ask Leo! Stickers?
Some of Leo's other sites: The Ask Leo! Store, Leo's Online Business Card, Forwarded
Funnies, Taming Email,
MovableType Tips, Leo's Blog, Buy Leo a Latte (or a Beer), A Letter To Myself, Dolls and Friends, Corgwn.com
*** Newsletter Administration
Do you have a question? A comment, perhaps? Visit http://ask-leo.com/ask to submit your
questions.
I'll be honest: I'll try to respond, but I get a
lot of questions every day - I just can't answer everyone.
Rest assured, though, that even if you don't hear from me directly,
every email gets read.
Leo's Answers Newsletter is a weekly publication of
Ask Leo! and Leo A. Notenboom. It's
also available as an RSS feed at this URL: http://ask-leo.com/newsletter.xml.
Archives of previous newsletter issues can be found on the Ask Leo! web
site, http://ask-leo.com/newsletter.html.
Forward Me! You're quite welcome to forward this
email in its entirety; it's a great way to help Ask Leo! grow.
But you should probably delete your unsubscribe link below, so your
friends don't unsubscribe you by accident.
You may forward individual articles from this newsletter
only if you include all and only the text of that
article as found in this newsletter, including any links therein. You
may not copy full articles from the Ask Leo! website - more on
that in my section on copyright: http://ask-leo.com/terms.html#copyright.
I'd sure appreciate it if regular readers got a subscription of
their own. You can sign up at http://newsletter.ask-leo.com.
Interested in advertising on Ask Leo! or in this newsletter?
Advertising
details here.
Newsletter contents
Copyright © 2008, Leo A. Notenboom & Puget Sound Software,
LLC.
Continue reading
Leo's Answers #147 - October 7, 2008
Tech Questions?
Get Answers! -
Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter -
Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.
|
Do I need a new computer to keep up with my faster internet connection?
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:27:00 +0400
I just upgraded my internet service from 1.5 mbps to 7.0 mbps. I
called tech support because I felt my computer is still running slow.
The tech support says I may need a get new computer to be compatible
with the 7.0 mbps.
I purchased my computer in July 2004. How often should one buy a new
computer?
I heard that company A's service is faster than company B's. What do
you think about that?
With all due respect to tech support - they're wrong.
Your four year old computer should be able to keep up just fine with
a 7 megabit connection. Heck, 10 or 15 years ago it wasn't uncommon for
slower computers on a faster 10 megabit Ethernet connection without
problems.
Let's look at what might really be happening.
Continue reading
Do I need a new computer to keep up with my faster internet connection?
Tech Questions?
Get Answers! -
Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter -
Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.
|
I have an old, old program I need to run in Vista, but it won't. Is there a way?
Sun, 05 Oct 2008 10:11:00 +0400
We use Visual BASIC for DOS, ver 1.0, to compile BASIC programs on
Win 98SE and Win XP computers. The compiler doesn't work in Vista. Is
there some way in which we can get the compiler to work under Vista? If
the programs are compiled in XP, the programs run on Vista.
Boy, now there's a blast from the past. It's quite possible that you
might actually be using software that I had a hand in creating, many
years ago.
I can't guarantee that this will work for any specific program (like
VB-DOS), but Vista does include some compatibility tricks that may be
able to help.
Continue reading
I have an old, old program I need to run in Vista, but it won't. Is there a way?
Tech Questions?
Get Answers! -
Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter -
Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.
|
Is a backup an alternative to having no Windows installation CDs?
Sat, 04 Oct 2008 10:25:00 +0400
I took your advice and purchased an external hard drive and Acronis
backup software. Now, as a novice, I bought my desktop with Windows XP
Media Edition pre-installed (no CD's). Since I am now backing up my
whole Hard disk, am I safe if something bad happens with the operating
system? (Referring to a
recent question on missing or corrupt windows file.)
First, let me say "good for you" for having a backup solution,
regardless of what solution you chose. That already puts you ahead of
the game compared to most other computer users.
A full initial backup is an excellent safety net and can cover for
not having installation CDs in many cases. However, from the way I
worded that you can probably guess that there may be issues, but the
good news is that they're rare.
Let's review the best way to use a full backup in a case like
this.
Continue reading
Is a backup an alternative to having no Windows installation CDs?
Tech Questions?
Get Answers! -
Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter -
Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.
|
Am I stealing someone else's IP address by resetting my router?
Fri, 03 Oct 2008 11:14:00 +0400
I'm using DSL and I have a router, and I have a static IP. So one
day I restarted my router manually by pressing a button on the back.
Now my IP address has changed. I told my friend I had done this and he
says I've made a huge mistake. He says I'm essentially stealing another
person's IP address on the ISP. Is it true that I am committing a crime
by changing my IP address by simply restarting my router?
No, you're not.
What your friend fails to realize is something very fundamental to
how IP addresses work.
You don't take an IP address; an IP address is
given to you.
Continue reading
Am I stealing someone else's IP address by resetting my router?
Tech Questions?
Get Answers! -
Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter -
Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.
|
How do I recover a corrupt system file if my Windows was pre-installed?
Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:20:00 +0400
I have Windows XP home media edition. The message reads: "Windows
could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt -
<windows root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe Please re-install a copy of
the above file." The computer came with pre-installed Windows. All I
have is recovery disks. I already lost all of my data once and I can
not afford to lose it again. Please advise. I also spent hours looking
for an answer on the internet. I saw nothing that could solve my
problem.
I've addressed this and similar questions here several times before,
but I want to revisit this because there are two important reminders
that arise out of addressing this situation.
The first, of course, is that even if Windows is pre-installed you
should always get the installation, not recovery, CDs
when you buy a new machine.
Why manufacturers think it's a good idea not to provide them
automatically is beyond me.
Continue reading
How do I recover a corrupt system file if my Windows was pre-installed?
Tech Questions?
Get Answers! -
Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter -
Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.
|
Does a sandbox or virtual machine help protect your privacy?
Wed, 01 Oct 2008 20:22:00 +0400
I've been very interested in your articles on what a website can
learn about you when browsing, cookies, and passwords etc. I wonder if
you would like to comment on the pros and cons of using a sandbox (I
use Sandboxie). Does using one overcome some of the issues you have
discussed?
I'm going to add virtual machines to the mix that this question
opens up, since the answer is (roughly) the same.
And the answer is that age old trio: yes, maybe and no.
The problem is that while sandboxes and VM's can help, they can help
only in some ways, and that help comes at a cost.
Continue reading
Does a sandbox or virtual machine help protect your privacy?
Tech Questions?
Get Answers! -
Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter -
Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.
|
What Security Software do you Recommend?
Tue, 30 Sep 2008 11:24:00 +0400
What anti-virus software should I use? How about a firewall? And
what about spyware? Should I use one of the all-in-one packages that
claim to do it all?
As you might imagine, I get these questions all the time. As a result,
I do have recommendations in various articles on the site.
Here's the short version that sums it all up.
Continue reading
What Security Software do you Recommend?
Tech Questions?
Get Answers! -
Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter -
Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.
|
Leo's Answers #146 - September 30, 2008
Tue, 30 Sep 2008 07:00:00 +0400
Leo's Answers
A Weekly Newsletter From
Ask Leo!
Leo Notenboom
Your site is amazingly helpful.
-Lalit
Hello!
(You subscribed to this newsletter from
this email address: {!email}, which you then separately confirmed. If
you don't want this weekly newsletter any more, please follow the
instructions to unsubscribe at the end of this and
every issue.)
If you're having problems with the formatting of this newsletter in
email it's always available on the web here: http://ask-leo.com/currentnewsletter.html
Share Me!
Do you know someone who would benefit from this newsletter? Forward
it to them! (See below for details.)
Did someone forward this email to you? Subscribe to get
Leo's Answers in your own inbox every week.
*** Contents
This Week's New Articles on Ask Leo!
A Word from our Sponsor
Featured Comments
This Week's Most Popular Articles
Leo Recommends
Popular Articles from the Archives
Thoughts and Comments
Newsletter Administration
*** This Week's New Articles on Ask Leo!
How else can websites get my information?
In a series of three previous questions, What
can a website I visit tell about me? and
What are browser cookies and how are they used? and
What are tracking cookies and should they concern me? I discussed
some of the information that websites get automatically, or through
legitimate means by virtue of using cookies, and then how cookies can
be used "behind the scenes" by networks of websites to track your
visits to sites in the network.
In this article I'm going to cover three loose ends that while
unrelated to each other are other ways that websites can get
information you probably didn't realize you were giving them.
Continue reading: "How
else can websites get my information?"
http://ask-leo.com/how_else_can_websites_get_my_information.html
* * *
What are tracking cookies and should they concern
me?
In two previous questions, What
can a website I visit tell about me? and
What are browser cookies and how are they used? I discussed some of
the information that websites get, and techniques that they can use to
collect and remember more.
One particular part of the original question leads to today's
article:
Can [a] site collect ... my browsing history
To be clear, a site cannot.
However, through clever use of cookies typically associated with
advertising, it is possible for some services to track who in their
network of advertisers you visit.
And thus we have "tracking" and "third party" cookies to talk
about.
Continue reading:
"What are tracking cookies and should they concern me?"
http://ask-leo.com/what_are_tracking_cookies_and_should_they_concern_me.html
* * *
What are browser cookies and how are they used?
In a previous question What
can a website I visit tell about me? I discussed the information
that's made available to all websites no mater what they do. The
original question included:
Can [a] site collect the following information:
- My computer name (the name I assigned to my computer)?
- Profile information???
- My browsing history (any/all sites I've visited and when) or can
they just tell the number of items in my history?
- Email addresses associated with my computer?
The strict answer remains "no" to the question as posed, but in
reality things aren't quite that simple.
For example, web sites can remember what you tell them, and we often
tell them more than we think.
And the remembering? That's typically using something called a
"browser cookie".
Continue reading:
"What are browser cookies and how are they used?"
http://ask-leo.com/what_are_browser_cookies_and_how_are_they_used.html
* * *
Why can't I just use one password everywhere?
Can you use the same password for everything you need one for?
Having a lot of different ones is really hard to remember, to the point
that I have had to write each one down.
Yes, you can use the same password everywhere, but I really
don't recommend it. It simply increases the risk of your accounts being
compromised.
There are several approaches to password management that don't
require using one password everywhere, and also don't require that you
remember dozens, if not hundreds, of different passwords.
Continue reading: "Why
can't I just use one password everywhere?"
http://ask-leo.com/why_cant_i_just_use_one_password_everywhere.html
*** A Word from our Sponsor
Are YOU Backing Up?
Acronis True
Image 11.0 - Complete PC backup and restore software
Protecting your entire system has never been easier.
Backup and recovery is a breeze.
"It's what I use." - Leo Notenboom
Get Acronis True Image Now!
Advertisement.
Ask Leo about advertising
here.
*** Featured Comments
A sampling of some of the comments that have been posted recently on
Ask Leo!
* * *
I found a USB thumbdrive, plugged it in and now my system won't work.
What happened?
Scott Wright writes:
Great article, Leo. There are some good questions and responses
here. I just wanted to add my two cents worth. It turns out that many
people (about 40%) will put an unknown device into their computer, just
to see what's on it. I have the evidence, which I have summarized at my
site, The Honey Stick Project, at http://www.honeystickproject.com. The site was inspired by
the penetration test you mentioned above, and is intended to raise
awareness about the risks of using mobile devices, in general. The
technique I use in the project can be useful for measuring the level of
security awareness and safe computing habits in an organization. Please
drop by and give me your comments. One other note: As indicated in one
of the related article links above, it is possible for a device to be
configured to trick a system into bypassing autorun, depending on your
system. I have some notes about this on my site, also.
*
If I Had to
Do It All Over Again...
Rondi writes:
Now that I have girls who want to be writers, and was told by my
college comp. teacher that I should be a writer, I confess that good
writing is work, work, work. It takes effort, brains, time, and
sometimes, research. Those slave-driving language teachers in high
school were right on. You have to learn grammar, language mechanics,and
even literary techniques to be a good writer and communicator.
*** This Week's Most Popular
The ten most popular articles in the last 7 days on Ask Leo!
How
do I make a new MSN Hotmail account?
How do I delete history items from my Google tool bar?
How do I put a picture in a comment on myspace.com?
My desktop Recycle Bin has disappeared - why, and how do I get it
back?
What are the POP3 and SMTP settings for Hotmail?
How
do I change my MSN Hotmail password?
Can I send text messages between a computer and a cell phone?
Why is my Task Manager disabled, and how do I fix it?
What are MSN HotMail's POP3 and SMTP settings for Outlook
Express?
I accidentally deleted my Recycle Bin in Vista - how do I get it
back?
*** Leo Recommends
Word Tips
Microsoft Word Tips, Tricks and Answers
I don't know everything. I know that's a shock to maybe one or two
of you, but it's the truth. One of the techniques I use to make it look
like I know more than I really do is to know where to look for
information.
Allen Wyatt's Word Tips is one of these places. Yes, I've used Microsoft
Word for many, many years and know it very well ... but Word Tips has more
answers and more suggestions than I could ever hope to have.
Continue reading:
"Word Tips - Microsoft Word Tips, Tricks and Answers"
http://ask-leo.com/word_tips_microsoft_word_tips_tricks_and_answers.html
I recommend it.
•
Each week I recommend a specific product or resource that
I've found valuable and that I think you may as well.
What does my recommendation mean?
*** Popular Articles from the Archives
It seems like everyone wants to know if
the email they send is being read. The problem is that while there are
settings and services that claim to be able to tell you, they can't do
it reliably.
Can I tell if email I sent has been read by the
recipient?
I sent
an email to a friend and he claims never to have gotten it. I don't
believe him; things he's said lead me to believe that he did get it,
and that he did read it. Is there a way I can tell for sure?
I'm actually fairly amazed at the number of times that I get
questions that boil down to people just not trusting each other. Not
that there isn't cause, I suppose, with spam, phishing and viruses
running all over the place. But this seems like the simplest case of
all - was your email read or not?
Interestingly enough there is infrastructure in the mail system to
get an answer to that question. The problem is that, for all practical
purposes, it doesn't work.
Continue reading...
Can I tell if email I sent has been read by the recipient?
http://ask-leo.com/can_i_tell_if_email_i_sent_has_been_read_by_the_recipient.html
*** Thoughts and Comments
Last week's question What
can a website I visit tell about me? actually blossomed into four
articles, three of which appear this week. It's a big issue, and I
could probably go on, but I wanted to cover the important and common
issues that people face. There's a lot of concern about privacy and how
your information might be collected and used. Personally, beyond
following a couple of simple safety tips, I'm not terribly concerned.
Regardless of how you feel, knowledge is the first step to staying
safe.
Minor milestone last week: we crossed 40,000 subscribers just before
last week's newsletter went out. Thank you all for
being here! I sincerely appreciate it.
Otherwise, a busy week here, so I'll have to keep this short.
Exciting stuff that I'll explain a little more next week, but there are
some change's a-brewin. No, nothing Ask Leo! related, at least not
directly. For now, I'll just have to keep you in suspense until next
week.
•
As always, thanks for subscribing, for reading, and for your
feedback. If you appreciate this newsletter or the site, one of the
best ways you can say "Thank You!" is to link to Ask Leo! or
simply to tell a friend or colleague. Just send folks to askleo.net.
'till next time...
Leo A. Notenboom
* * *
A selection of Leo's articles are available for free re-use at
http://articlesbyleo.com.
You can also subscribe to Ask Leo! on your Kindle.
Perhaps you'd like some Ask Leo! Stickers?
Some of Leo's other sites: The Ask Leo! Store, Leo's Online Business Card, Forwarded
Funnies, Taming Email,
MovableType Tips, Leo's Blog, Buy Leo a Latte (or a Beer), A Letter To Myself, Dolls and Friends, Corgwn.com
*** Newsletter Administration
Do you have a question? A comment, perhaps? Visit http://ask-leo.com/ask to submit your
questions.
I'll be honest: I'll try to respond, but I get a
lot of questions every day - I just can't answer everyone.
Rest assured, though, that even if you don't hear from me directly,
every email gets read.
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Ask Leo! and Leo A. Notenboom. It's
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Copyright © 2008, Leo A. Notenboom & Puget Sound Software,
LLC.
Continue reading
Leo's Answers #146 - September 30, 2008
Tech Questions?
Get Answers! -
Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter -
Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.
|
How else can websites get my information?
Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:11:00 +0400
In a series of three previous questions, What
can a website I visit tell about me? and
What are browser cookies and how are they used? and
What are tracking cookies and should they concern me? I discussed
some of the information that websites get automatically, or through
legitimate means by virtue of using cookies, and then how cookies can
be used "behind the scenes" by networks of websites to track your
visits to sites in the network.
In this article, I'm going to cover three loose ends that while
unrelated to each other, are other ways that websites can get
information you probably didn't realize you were giving them.
Continue reading
How else can websites get my information?
Tech Questions?
Get Answers! -
Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter -
Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.
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