InBox

By DON McALLISTER

Welcome to InBox, where we attempt to answer your internet questions.

Q. Last week we asked how good iSpy was.

A. Paul's was the first of many replies citing how efficient ihug's spam killer service was: "I have subscribed to ihug's iSpy since it was first offered. Very successful indeed. I have only had one or two stray spam mails since."

In fact, every response we had was positive. Readers said the $4 monthly anti-virus/anti-Spam bundle was a bargain. Better still, a $5 monthly bundle containing anti-spam/anti-virus and a "family filter" to protect kids from dubious internet content.

Currently only ihug dialup accounts can use iSpy. NOTE: All internet provider anti-virus services check only email - so they must be used alongside good antivirus software to eliminate other sources of infection.

Q. Rose is suffering from a common complaint - Internet Explorer is spitting up a security settings error when it encounters a page with ActiveX.

A. Take control of the settings, Rose. Go to Internet Explorer/Tools/Internet Options/Security. In the Internet Zone hit "Custom Level". All the ActiveX settings are here. For each ActiveX item select "Prompt". If it prompts you on a dubious page you can then deny it running. If the page is reputable, you can allow it to run. This way you keep full control.

Q. Roy writes: "I read in the Herald (Red Sheriff has chinks in its armour) about routinely crunching cookies. Please tell me if there is any great disadvantage in doing this. Will it affect my Outlook Express?"

A. You can purge cookies and they'll return as you revisit each site. This won't damage the operation of your browser, but may stop previous settings from your last visit returning. Only paranoid people or those who are concerned about their privacy tend to routinely remove cookies. Mostly cookies are relatively benign and not the sinister hidden component that they were once rumoured to be. Products like McAfee Quick Clean make cookie crunching a breeze. Outlook Express doesn't use cookies - they're a web feature, not an email component. We would be interested to hear from readers who routinely crunch about why you do it and what you use.



Send us your web questions.