Q: A reader wants to know if it matters whether capital letters are used in email. Some people put the first letters of their name in caps, such as "JohnSmith@xtra.co.nz". Does it matter if "johnsmith" is used instead?
A: In most cases, mail servers are not case-sensitive, but they can
be made so by the server administrator. Specifications when email systems were designed stipulate that they may be case-sensitive. Essentially, it is the rule of thumb to write in lowercase unless stipulated otherwise by the account-holder. At present the Xtra server would let a mixed case email through, but a system change could inadvertently land sensitive email in the wrong hands.
Q: After reading Inbox last week, Richard became concerned - he wants to know how he can tell that his TradeMe account is under attack from hackers.
A: That's a valid concern. Xtra, ihug, TradeMe and many other high-profile New Zealand providers hide any security issues from customers, as the thought that their security would let anything through is a weakness they don't want exposed. The TradeMe General community notice board is a good place to keep an eye on - often either a victim or a user who has found an intrusion will post there. This is why it's so important for customers to voice concern via message boards, as word soon gets around.
Q: Sandra received an HQX file by email and she can't read it on her Windows-based computer. She wants to know if it is a virus or whether she can download a viewer for it.
A: It's not a Windows-type file. It's a Mac file, and in most cases will not run on a Windows machine. If it was created by a word processor, spreadsheet or database program, it could be possible to decompress it on to your machine. You'll need a program called Winzip to try this: www.winzip.com.
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