Email is still the most popular application on the Internet. Since I get questions about email I thought I’d send a few answers to the most frequently asked questions.

Email is not private. So never send your credit card number, social security number, or other information you’d rather not share via email.

Email lives longer than cockroaches. It lives on your computer and on your Internet service provider’s (ISP’s) mail server. So, it’s not a good place to keep secrets.

Work email is the property of work and people have been fired for misuse. If you need a non-work account there are free options; I’ll outline a few next week – including Gmail.

Don’t open suspicious email. Spam and viruses can look as if they come from anyone. When in doubt, don’t open strange email or attachments.

Get a virus checker (learn more in this old Byte). Ask your ISP about any industrial virus checker they might use. (I’m super happy with IP House and their virus/spam checker.)

Never reply to unwanted, unsolicited email. Once you reply, the spammers know your address is good. Even if they never use it themselves – they may sell it.

On an unrelated note, a Byte subscriber sent me a fun Minnesota podcasting site last week: The Sounds of Minnesota. It’s a short directory of MN podcasts. Some topics are not for the faint of heart – but some (others) look good.