On Mon, 25 Dec 2006, "W. Watson" <wolf_tracks@invalid.com> wrote:
>I'm told that AVG is quite a good virus protection program. I believe I've
>seen a few other such programs that are free. Why make them free? Is it that
>eventually they get into the market, and then able to charge for it? Anyway,
>I'm about to take AVG for a spin on one or two of my computers.
>
>I really get tired of the annual fee nonsense with NAV. It's not so much
>that I don't agree with the fee process as the inconvenience of finding a
>package at the store that's a 'normal price'. Often the have some ridiculous
>price with a rebate to make the price 'normal', or maybe even approximately so.
>
> Wayne T. Watson (Watson Adventures, Prop., Nevada City, CA)
> (121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
> Obz Site: 39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W, 2700 feet
>
> "It is better to be “approximately right” rather than
> “exactly wrong." -- John Tukey, Statistican
>--
> Web Page: <home.earthlink.net/~mtnviews>


Hi Wayne, I keep a short list of links to free programs like
AVG, and other good free programs to help protect your computer,
filter out unwanted news messages, and that kind of stuff. I
email this list to friends, and post it in these news forums
sometimes, so that every body knows it's on the up and up.

Free anti virus AVG (version 7.5):
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/5390/lng/us/tpl/v5

Free anti virus avast! (home edition version 4.6)
http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html

Free anti spyware, etc.:
http://www.ccleaner.com
http://www.spybot.info/en/download/
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html
http://www.winpatrol.com/download.html
http://www.superantispyware.com/down...NTISPYWAREFREE
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/uiuc/res/ie-spyad.zip
http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.zip
http://www.funkytoad.com/hoster.htm
http://www.lavasoft.de/software/adaware/
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/uiuc/resource.htm
http://www.siteadvisor.com/download/ie.html

Free news readers:
http://www.40tude.com/dialog/
http://xnews.newsguy.com/

Free news filters:
http://www.nfilter.org/
http://www.arcorhome.de/newshamster/...amster_de.html

Free public news servers:
http://www.newzbot.com/


I use AVG, but I guess there are several others that are also
very popular. Don't forget, that you should never have more than
one anti virus program installed at a time. Also, it is good to
subscribe to "alt.privacy.spyware," since that is where I learned
about these and other programs, from the experts who post there.

One thing they always say, is to never download a program from
any third party site, but only get it from the source web site
when ever possible. Or if not, get it from a known, reputable
site that is authorized by the program manufacturer to carry it.

The flaw with that statement is that there are plenty of rogue
sites that pretend to be reputable, when they are anything but.
You can't be too careful now days. A lot of "anti" spy ware
programs are really spy ware. Even the popular browser toolbars
are getting that way, and yet they come bundled with legitimate
programs. The expression "never judge a book by its cover" fits
like a glove. Or, when in doubt, don't. Murphey's Law.

Now that I say this, I realize that I should add links to one
or two free programs that help filter out email spam. I've been
getting a lot of that lately, with christmas and all.

If only I could find a free program that would send a 50,000
volt electrical shock through the computer keyboards of these
outlaws who program and spread malicious viruses, and spy wares,
around. If I find such a program, I will be sure to include the
link.


Ckypp