email problem

I have had several people report that when I forward an email to them, their computer red flags my message. I have no apparent problems with my email that I can see. Do I need a security product or what?

What does the red flag mean? Where has the email that you have forwarded come from? It's quite possible that the problem was in the email and has nothing to do with you.

The key word here is FORWARD.

You may be passing on virus-riddled email to your Windows-using friends. Because your Mac is immune to viruses, you don't get them -- but you act like a Typhoid Mary, passing risky material along.

Solution: stop forwarding things to people mindlessly. This is the NUMBER ONE way viruses and other malware propagates in the PC world.

Frankly, 99.9% of the stuff people forward is either a) bunk, b) virus ridden crap, c) unfunny/racist/offensive, d) corny, overly cute or otherwise dumb and e) been seen before 100 times or more.

Everyone reading this (and members of this board are not likely to be the real problem, so feel free to forward it), take the chas_m MASS EMAIL PLEDGE!!

I PROMISE:

a. to be incredibly SELECTIVE about what I forward and to whom, being very sure they would want me to do this.

b. to periodically check with my friends and email colleagues about whether or not they would like to "opt-out" of mass forwards from me.

c. to ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS check EVERY mass email against snopes.com, politifact.com or similar debunking websites BEFORE forwarding. Even if the email (lies) says it has already been verified, on a national network, Warren Buffet says so, etc ad nauseum.

d. To forward NOTHING AT ALL of a political nature -- even if it agrees with my political philosophy -- in the 24 months leading up to a national election. Don't be a tool of the propagandists!

Thanks you, and feel free to mass e-mail this to everyone you have ever met!