November 2 , 2000
 
AOL version 6.0, Viruses...

AOL Version 6.0 - Currently, we have approximately 13,000 AOL Domain e-mail subscriptions to Rennlist. If you are in this group, please keep reading this section of this post.

Recently, AOL released version 6.0 for Windows 98/ME customers. If you upgrade to this version, please be aware that *all* AOL MAIL will be sent as HTML. According to AOL TECH Support, there is *no way* to disable this feature (yet:-). Therefore, while you will still receive Rennlist e-mail, you will *not* be able to post Version 6.0 (HTML) messages to these lists (or most large e-mail lists).

Here are some suggestions.... Stay with Version 5.0 until AOL allows you to choose between PLAIN TEXT and HTML. In the meantime, please let AOL know how your feel about Version 6 HTML mail only by logging on to AOL and going to keyword "SUGGESTIONS". Also, you are able to use 3rd party e-mail clients (Netscape Mail, Outlook Express, Eudora, Poco, etc.) WITH YOUR AOL connection. Therefore, you may consider registering for a free e-mail account (at rennlist.com if you are a Rennlist member) - or yahoo.com, hotmail, etc. and use that account for all your list server mail (Rennlist, eGroups, Listbot, etc.). As you are aware, most e-mail lists do *not* accept HTML mail messages - so you could use that account for all your e-mail lists - not just Rennlist.

Virus Protection - There are some rather nasty viruses going around the Internet today. Most come as executable attachments (EXE, VBS) and are spawned by opening the attachment. It is just common sense to *NOT* open any unexpected in ANY e-mail - even if you think you know the person well - as most of the more severe viruses will masquerade as a person you have received e-mail from before. In short - just DELETE that message, and then e-mail that person to confirm that they meant to send you something. If it's important and/or not a Virus - they'll resend it... Also, if you are a Microsoft mail user - please be *sure* you have installed the latest updates to *both* IE and OE (http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com).

Also - while the Rennlist Servers purge all attachments/viruses (we have a 100% clean e-mail record after nearly 4 years), folks whose names you recognize from the lists *can* unknowingly send you a virus. Please ensure that your Virus software is up-to-date, and if possible - scans incoming e-mail. One of my favorite Windows e-mail clients (I use nine different clients on my multi-boot laptop (yes - I run Win2000, Win98, WinME, RH Linux and BeOS:-)) is Poco (http://www.pocomail.com/) - which has this ability to scan incoming e-mail - and is a versatile, easy to use, client for any POP3/SMTP account.