Your image is broked.

I'm back! I'm back!

And you have no IDEA how hard it was to get back!

You see, on the day I left, the computer reported that the network was down, so I went "Oh well, by the time I get home it'll be back up." But it wasn't. When I got back it was still reporting a network failure, so I phoned Rogers. They said my computer wasn't responding but the network was fine. So we called in a computer expert, who eventually located a virus specifically designed to make my computer troublesome, from blocking the internet to causing pop-ups to screwing with programs and deleting things.

So, I'm back, after a couple days of worry, a payment to a computer guy, and new rules about NOT GOING ANYWHERE that looks shady or can even be suspected of harbouring viruses (except here of course!)

Also, I am no longer permitted to download any programs whatsoever without first consulting my parents and allowing them to rule on it.

Oh, and we also found an annoying dialer virus that was causing our computer to make long-distance calls and charging us for it.

Three tips to keeping your computer swanky virus clean.

1 - Don't use IE. Use Opera, Mozilla, or Firefox. Anything but IE. The only way to make IE safe is to lock it down, and then it's unusable.

2 - Don't open unknown email attachments. Ever. Even if you were expecting it. If someone has an incredibly clever program to send you, tell them to give you a link where you can download it. Text should always be forwarded as a .RTF file rather than a .DOC file. Don't even think about opening anything with a .EXE or a .ZIP file extension.

3 - Practice safe surfing. Don't click 'Yes' to anything unless you've read it thoroughly.

4 - Perform a regular virus scan. I use AVG Free, and scan once every two weeks.

I've followed those three rules for the past two years, and I have yet to get a virus on my machine. The biggest thing is to stop using Internet Explorer. I'm not being some sort of zealot here, IE will install things without letting you even know its happening. I make a good bit of my living by helping people clean up their computers (remove virus', spyware, malware, etc), the first bit of prevention I use is by downloading Firefox, and telling them to use that instead of IE.

I'll see if I can get my parents on Firefox, but its' unlikely. If anything, this experience has hardened them against anything found on the internet, ESPECIALLY free things (according to my dad, if its' free, its' either crap or riddled with viruses.)

Tell your Dad that I said to get with the times.

Wired likes it:
http://www.mozillazine.org/talkback.html?article=4145
Forbes reviewed it:
http://forbes.com/infoimaging/2004/02/04/cx_ah_0204tentech.html
Great ratings on Download.com:
http://www.download.com/Mozilla-Firefox/3000-2356-10208565.html
ZDNet likes it:
http://www.zdnet.com.au/reviews/software/0,39023360,39116100,00.htm
MAXIMUM PC magazine voted it #1 bit of software for 2004
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/shelf.html
Does this look like the website for spyware? They even have phone support.
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/

Download.com reports Firefox 9.1 having been downloaded 325,829 times, despite having been added to the site YESTERDAY (June 29th).

How much more persuasion does someone need?

Heck, if paying money makes him feel better he can download Opera, and pay the $20 to remove the ads it displays.

Thanks, maybe this will help. Oh, and since I'm back I would like to know what I've missed. I can catch up more or less on threads like Apparitions, but I would like to know what is happening with the GLF. It looks like everyone's finally getting around to stamping them out.

I should also note that IE is free as well, and of the four big ones (IE, Mozilla, Opera, Safari) IE is the worst in regards to standards compliance and maintenance. Heck, it hasn't received an update in two years. And people wonder why their computers get viruses, it's because the software they use has security holes everyone knows all about.

As for the GLF, well, you'll have to read the IC news forum for that. Um.. not too much happening actually. BDE is swallowing planets whole as usual, and everyone else is too lazy to do anything.

Oh, you should check the R&D moderator forum too.

And I'm making a cameo, soon.

Wait, BDE can swallow planets whole? Since when?

Look at the planets list.