Judge Advocate
My name is Clyde Oxford. Many of you know me, since I have been the loudmouth of the Post for several years. I first joined the Veterans of Foreign wars in 1970 at Leavenworth, Kansas, after returning from my second combat tour in Vietnam. Post 4816 is my fourth Post home. I've been a member here for 20 years, serving in most Post positions, including Commander.
Things have changed and are ever changing. We now rely on the Internet for much of our information sharing within the Organization, as well as in our private lives. The Internet can be a blessing, but it can also be a tremendous source of headaches. Not all people who use the Internet are nice folks like us. Great minds are at work trying to spread infections and wreak havoc upon unprotected and unsuspecting Internet users. We must take precautions, such as keeping a good, updated anti-virus program on our computers. Otherwise, we will sooner, rather than later, become a victim. Not only that, we can unintentionally spread viruses and such to those with whom we communicate through the Internet.
In addition to maintaining good software protection for your computer, there are a couple of very simple things that you can do to help yourself and your friends stay out of trouble. For example, take some precautions when you forward articles or other material to your friends. Do you really know how to forward e-mails? Statistics reveal that about 50% of us do; 50% DO NOT.
Do you wonder why you get viruses or junk mail? Do you hate it? Every time you forward an e-mail there is information left over from the people who got the message before you, namely their e-mail addresses & names. As the messages get forwarded along, the list of addresses builds, and builds, and builds, and all it takes is for some poor sap to get a virus, and his or her computer can send that virus to every E-mail address that has come across his/her computer. Or, someone can take all of those addresses and sell them, or send junk mail to them, in the hopes that you will go to the site, and he will make five cents for each hit. That's right, all of that inconvenience over a nickel! How do you stop it? Well, here are two helpful steps:
(1) When you forward an e-mail, DELETE all of the other addresses that appear in the body of the message (at the top). That's right, DELETE them. Highlight them and delete them, backspace them, cut them, whatever it is you know how to do. It only takes a few seconds.You MUST click the "Forward" button first and then you should have full editing capabilities against the body and headers of the message. If you don't click on "Forward" first, you won't be able to edit the message at all. You may have to right click the body of the message and 'select all' before you click on FORWARD, otherwise you probably won't be able to edit.
Another simple way to clean up a message instead of forwarding, SELECT ALL, COPY and PASTE to a new, blank email. Highlight and delete the parts of the forwarded message that you want to delete from your new outgoing message. I prefer this option. It is quick and easy. It leaves no doubt in your mind about what is leaving your out box. You will have to type in the subject of your new email message, of course. You can use the same subject as in the message you are cleaning up, or you can give it a new subject. Correct typos in the message, if you like.
(2) Whenever you send an e-mail to more than one person, do NOT use the TO: or CC:columns for adding e-mail addresses. Always use the BCC:(blind carbon copy) column for listing the e-mail addresses. This way, people to whom you send can only see their own e-mail address. If you don't see your BCC: option, click on where it says "TO:" and your address list will appear. Highlight the address and choose BCC: and that's it, it's that easy. When you send to BCC: your message will automatically say "Undisclosed Recipients" in the "TO:" field of the people who receive it.
Have you ever gotten an email that is a petition? It states a position and asks you to add your name and address and to forward it to 10 or 15 people or your entire address book. The email can be forwarded on and on and can collect thousands of names and email addresses. A FACT: The completed petition is actually worth a couple of bucks to a professional spammer because of the wealth of valid names and email addresses contained therein. If you want to support the petition, send it as your own personal letter to the intended recipient. Your position may carry more weight as a personal letter than a laundry list of names and email address on a petition.
So please, in the future, let's help stop the junk mail and the viruses. Clean up your outgoing emails. The recipients of your emails will appreciate your efforts.
Clyde Oxford
Post Judge Advocate
