: P.S. (This is called 'redirecting the argument'. In any case, Bill Gates has done wonderful things, has become a cad, and ought to be dealt with. Of course, the U.S. government is doing just that.Really? Are you suggesting that Bill G, alias Mr Arch-Capitalist, should be taken down a peg by the big evil nasty Government?
: As to LINUX, as I've stated earlier, if it becomes worth my while, I'll certainly use it. Untill then, it's the nasty WIN 98 for me.)
Fair enough. In the meanwhile, I'd recommend you don't do anything that the Government doesn't like on your Windows box, since they can look into your hard drive at will. Secondly, I'd recommend you don't put any financial data at all on your computer; as the Chaos Computer Club ably demonstrated, any financial data or programs you have on your Windows box are so insecure as to be breakable with a Web browser. At least, the choice is yours; either use financial software like Quicken, or use the 'net; but not both. Unless you want to have your bank account drained. Finally, I'd recommend you don't run any attachments that come to you via mail to a Windows box. Especially if they're in Word (.doc) or Excel (.xls) format. Unless, that is, you want a Melissa variant or a Laroux variant to trash your hard drive (due to the inherent insecurity of Windows).
Macro viruses - only Windows PCs get them. There has never been a Linux or Unix macro virus.
So, to summarize, don't do anything private on your Windows PC, don't put financial data on your PC and don't run any attachments you get on your Windows PC. Then you can be sure that any crashes you do get are just the fault of the crappy OS and not someone Out There crashing your PC for fun.
Oh, and pray no-one ever infects you with Back Orifice 2000. If someone infects you with a Back Orifice client concealed in a Word or Excel macro, then final control of your PC will be permanently ceded to someone else; they can do anything they like to your PC; and you will have no power to stop them.
Sweet dreams.
Farinata.
