No problem here,Janice! I never open anything like that that involves sending money to someone I don't know! Thanks to your advance warning from before. We are always bombarded by one thing,or another,so I avoid them by not opening anything by anyone I don't know,no matter how ligit,it sounds. Phil

I removed my graphic because someone informed me they had 'weird things happen' when they hovered their
cursor over it, suggesting it had a virus. It was a combined graphic, using the *Santa* from a free clip-art source
and combined with my own edited colors, embellishings and photo contributions! I have been trying to use only my own
creations these days having practiced through the years making my own and hopefully they would be 'safer' by far than
anything 'borrowed', graphically speaking! :o) This one, was an older one though--archived in my Photobucket!

My son-inlaw, (the software engineer and all around computer guru and expert) says it is unlikely that the graphic had a virus,
but, not TOTALLY impossible! He just emphasized it's highly unlikely. I've had the graphic for several years and have
an excellent security system in place so I doubt it, as well!

The person, referenced above, also says, that the personal email that I sent out to everyone in my address book,
(warning about the bogus email I received) may have caused him to simultaneously have a virus, when he received it.
My SIL strongly assures me that is not the case! He had to be 'strong' in his reassuring because I was very concerned
that I may have caused you all a serious problem, with my graphic or my emailed 'alert' about the bogus one I received,
and discussed in the OP of this thread!

He says, the bogus email I received, was a result of my friend having an individual/s successfully hack
into her email account and used her account (not a worm or virus) and just accessed all her address book
(for their own devious purposes) and therefor there is no virus or worm involved or attached that could be sent
along with my emails, from the 'source' of the bogus one!

Our SIL (again--our personal computer genuius) told me that how that can happen is, anytime an email address is made public
as some do on this forum or any other public way, (within a thread, as some have, as well) individuals can be scanning for them
(on any forum, etc.) and either be wickedly clever enough to figure out passwords or they have software (very sophisticated) that
can be run to eventually 'unravel' a password for them. Then they just get in there and use your account!

So, beware--it's happening at a predigious rate! Be careful what you make public and known through your
'My Page' or in your thread discussions!!

Also, be aware, there is a heavy barrage of viruses out there right now, cause it's the 'season' the
virus terrorist love to assault us--they hate the JOY of the season and the REASON for it!

But--please let me know, if anyone else has experienced any problem with this thread and the graphic I had posted!
Just to be safe, I completely deleted the graphic from my Photobucket account--to be absolutely sure! Again, I'd think
I'd have some pretty serious things going on, on my end, if it did slip through the heavy-duty security system we have,
in place!

It sure is handy having a computer wizard in the family. I think I would have ditched my computer
long, long ago had he not be available to answer my questions and reformat my computer/s (when
they get bogged down with all the things I like to have on mine) through the years!!

BTW--I did receive an email, through Gardenweb, from someone 'claiming' to be selling 'cowpots'!
The email indicated that the person sending the email noticed I was in a discussion about these things,
which I had not been! I never knew what they were till I researched them (googled 'cowpots')! Since
they did not have my personal email address, (it came through GW's system) I did not reply!
Had I 'replied' they would have had access to my personal address!

So--I do try to be savvy about these internet criminal schemes that prey on the naive--but I know there are
newer scams going on all the time! I haven't sent money (or reply) to the many persons living in Russia, etc.
who are about to die and want SOMEONE to have their estates besides the government--at least not yet, have I!
*Hosta-buying season* is coming soon, though--maybe I really could get that HUGE inheritance from Russia, Iraq,
Nigeria, China, etc.!! ;o)

Nor, have I agreed to deposit cash into an account, (that would be mailed to me) minus a commission--for someone
from another country needing a place to hide their funds!!!

Do people really fall for these scams--really?? Yeah--they really do! I heard a person calling in on the 'Clark Howard Show',
that admitted they were considering doing it! He, (Clark)explained the scam as the monies were counterfeit and had they done
what was asked, they would have also been criminallly liable and prosecuted as accomplices for passing counterfeit monies!

I can still see my graphic! Seems I went through this before having removed one!
I think--even if I delete it, it is stored on GW's hard drive or 'whatever' so it's
still 'out there'! Let me know, if it causes you a problem!!!

Okay--SIL has informed me, with a greater in depth discussion on the possibility of something amiss
being attached to free 'clip art', that there is indeed a possibility of such a thing--from such *sources*!!
He thought I had been posting stuff from other websites and that they would be more 'safe' to use!

In fact, just coming to this (& any) forum in general, according to him, is an exposure to all sorts of bad things
for our computers! He is very adamant that such sites can be responsible for my computer slowing down, and
even the threads and postings possible avenues for malice, including people trolling for people types to entertain
their hostilities by harrassments, etc. and even involving themselves in our lives (with no good motive) via
conversations and private emails! And, I have wondered about some of those!! Good grief!!

I guess, I may have to take his advice and cease and desist all forum involvement and internet contacts
except those who have proven to be like me, and are proven innocent of such motives!

Wow--I had no idea it could be that extreme a threat! DD told me SIL has been trying to warn me about this for
several years and I've blown him off about it, so I guess I'm going to have to really think this through--and do what
he's insisting! Whaaaaaaaaa! What's a computer for, anyhow??

Anyone else, out there, can confirm that it's as extreme a threat as he's so sure of?? I do
value his experience and expertise but just wonder if it's soooo extreme for others, as well!

Janice,

I have no expertise per se except that fear can be taken to extremes also. Take proper precautions, of course, but don't let it keep you from living your life!

I, for one, would really miss your involvement in our forum.

Char

P.S. I did not get any emails from you asking for money and I'm fairly sure I'm in your address book. Happy New Year everyone!

Oh Char--you didn't get an email 'alert' from me??? Oh, wait--I bet you're in only one of the two
computers I 'operate' from and I now recall, that my panic sending out of the alerts was just from one
of them! Gulp!! I guess I ought to warn the other computer address book, too!

Have you had ANY strange things from me, other than the usual strangeness, lately? LOL Glad there were
none asking for money--but, hey--Spring IS COMING and I might get desperate for that hosta-cash!!

Thank you, Char, for your kind words and reassuring! I did clean out all of the 'graphics' not made entirely
by me, from my computer and Photobucket! Sigh! Some of those carry very fond memories for me, of the
'beginnings' of my postings here, which may have entertained some of you but definitely irritated others, so
it's probably BEST I did 'clean house' that way!!

Thank you, again, Char and you have the best New Year, all year long, ya hear!!!! :o)

Janice

Hi Janice. You haven't given me anything bad. I did receive your note (warning) and I also got an email from the cowpot person. Also (and this one is kind of different) and it's made to look like a followup to one of those where they ask your help transferring huge sums of money... only the twist on this one was that the guy was THANKING me for having helped him transfer huge sums of money and now, with the help of just a little information from me, he would like to send me the 1.5 million that he promised earlier for my help :-) Like all the rest it went straight to my email trash!

There are a lot of dangers out there. Virus's, trojans, worms, all kinds of crap. But I don't let it keep me from enjoying the internet. Here are some of the practices that I follow:

I use Norton's Internet Security package along with their Antivirus and I keep it up to date. Keeping up to date is important as new 'bad things' are showing up all the time. It doesn't do any good to run and antivirus OR the internet protection that is two years out of date!

I keep the email scan part of the antivirus active and, yes, every once in a while it flags a virus file attachment.

I don't reply to emails from people or companies that I don't know. And I don't reply to unsolicited emails from companies that I DO know. These emails could be 'feelers' from some of the bad guys out there. On occasion, I have gone to the official site of the company (such as Ebay) and informed them that I have been contacted from someone pretending to be them. That way they can warn others.

When I get an email warning about a virus, I check it out. There are a number of sites where you can check to see if a warning is about a real virus or whether it is a hoax. Here are some of the sites I use:

http://www.f-secure.com/virus-info/hoax/

http://www.symantec.com/business/security_response/threatexplorer/risks/hoaxes.jsp

http://www.symantec.com/business/security_response/attacksignatures/index.jsp

http://us.mcafee.com/virusInfo/default.asp

Symantec also has a lot of good infomation on virus, risks, and how to protect your computer, at http://www.symantec.com/norton/security_response/index.jsp

Hi Joyce!! So good to see you reporting in on this topic! I was thinking of contacting you (for real)
to get your opinion on this, since I recall you know your way around a computer very well! :o)

I have Nod ESET NOD32 anitvirus programming in place, as recommended to us as even better than Norton,
which we'd used for years! We were told that Norton slows down our computer which we did notice! So far,
we've not contracted nor sent along a virus to anyone by using this one--that we know of!

We also have Ad-Aware Plus and FireFox in place!

I was told that I can safely 'capture' a visual to use as a model for my graphics attempts, by *screen
capturing*! I had no idea I could do that!! Now I'm happy again, after deleting all other 'captures'
by 'save as', which I've learned is downloading, afterall!

I have come to realize that using someone else's graphic, without their consent, is as good as stealing! Gulp!
I always thought anything on the internet was fair game, since it is well-known that it's 'out there' and can be
grabbed easily, however--often the cost is steep in the end! I was, also, advised that anything 'FREE' comes
with a huge price tag--albeit, initially behind the scenes!

I need an appropriate 'graphic' for that one--the 'gulp' (above) so, I guess I need to get busy remaking
'safe' and 'clear-conscience' graphics to use on *this side*--on occasion! :o)

I removed all unnecessary programs and favorites that I don't go to, often, anyway!
I also cleaned up Photo-bucket and my desktop and my computer is operating much faster!

Thanks, again, Joyce, for commenting on this thread!!