Lately, when I select a forum, I occasionally get a reply to the effect that I "have not selected a specific forum". I click the same forum again and it goes through.

Just now, I clicked on "Post a Reply" to a Wish List topic, and got a message back that my "attempt to hack this website has been noted . . . further attempts will be reported to the authorities . . . penalty of defenestration . . . etc.

Are these just glitches that everyone experiences from time to time, or does my browser potentially have a problem, or is the website acting up, or is it just too close to trick or treat?

Bruce

Bruce,

I've experienced none of those problems. i can't answer why you have, but I have not.

Dennis

It's possible that your pc has a virus or a co-pilot. Do you run a current virus scan program and/or Internet firewall? There have been instances of pc being taken over and used as launch pads for hack attacks.

If you're using a standard browser such as Netscape or IE, its not a browser problem. Do you see the same problem on any other Web site, or have you noticed any other unusual behaviour from your computer while you're on the Internet?

I hate to give the standard help desk answer, but its probably warranted here. Shut down, turn the machine and your modem off, then turn 'em back on and reboot. Do this right now.

Rick could be right. If after starting over you see the same problem, do a virus scan (you do have an anti-virus program with up-to-date files, don't you). If the virus scan comes up clean, it is remotely possible you experienced a hack attack. If so, contact your ISP and report the situation.

If you don't have an anti-virus program, then get one - its just one of those requirements of modern computing. I recommend Network Associates ( McAFee ) which you can purchase online for thirty bucks or so. Then go to Zone Labs and download a free copy of the Zone Alarm firewal and install it.

The phrase >>. . . penalty of defenestration . . . << is the most bothersome part. There's lots of hacker types who don't particularly care for Windows, and aren't ashamed of letting you know this. Fwiw, "defenestration" means throwing someone or something out of a window.

And let us know what results you come up with.

Good luck,
__
/im

P.S. for anyone else who's stumbled upon this message, when was the last time you updated your anti-virus program's files? Why not take the time to do it now.

[This message has been edited by JTimothyA (edited 10-19-2000).]

[This message has been edited by JTimothyA (edited 10-19-2000).]

I owe you guys an apology. The "penalty of defenestration" was a wiseguy ad lib on my part, not an actual part of the message. I should not have thrown that in and misled anyone seriously trying to help me with an answer.

That said, the message was otherwise as stated, and had exactly the same typeface and appearance as other messages from the Forums Websight, e.g. "Thank you for posting a reply to this topic . . ." It really appeared to be a reply to my post.

The other message I mentioned has occurred several times on different days, with reboots in between. It's certainly not a serious problem, just a minor inconvenience and a curiosity.

For what it's worth, when I encountered these situations I was running the latest release of Netscape on a computer with the latest release of Mcafee, updated with the October 2000 .dat file, over a network connection through a Pix 5.5 firewall.

If it happens again - especially the hacker thing - I'll take a screen print. If it doesn't happen again, problem solved!

Once again, my sincere apology for being misleading for the sake of (poor) humor.

Bruce

FWIW I would seriously recommend a firewall for those of you that don't have one yet. At least use the free download from Zone Labs. For those of you not using Antivirus Software, shame on you, you are seriously rolling the dice. I use Norton's Antivirus and I download free uploads of new Virus Definitions every 15 Days.

imho,



[This message has been attacked by the Harbour Lights Virus (infected 10-19-2000).]

[This message has been edited by SThompson (edited 10-19-2000).]

I'm running the same McAfee/ZoneLabs combination as Tim and I've never had a problem as described, either.

What REALLY amazes me is the number of 'hits' the firewall logs! And I'm on a dial-up, not even an always-on connection.

I'm confused. I was under the impression based on my reading elsewhere that if you were on a dial up you had no need for a firewall. Is this true or false in the opinions of the resident experts here.

I do have norton Anti Virus and I try and keep it up to date every month. sometimes I forget.

My resident Computer expert is now in CA so house calls are difficult.

Dennis

You'll have to make that decision yourself but IMO it's potentially dangerous to access the Internet without a personal firewall unless you're behind an expertly maintained server firewall. I have my ZoneAlarm set to log 'hits'. Hits are attempted accesses to my PC other than those I've told Zone Alarm to explicitly allow. I've not analyzed my log, but a cursory examination of it yields about 5 hits per hour of online time. Zone Alarm has the ability to tell you where the hits originated and once in awhile I go look a few up. I've yet to find one originating from an owner I recognize. Frequently they're from an ISP's pool of IP addresses which to me means some individual logged on to that ISP is scanning IP's looking for a potential victim. I'm no Internet plumbing expert so I'm sure there are many other possible explanations for the source. Maybe Tim could and would enlighten me, too.

McAfee and Symantec (the Norton AntiVirus folks) update their software and/or virus signature files about once per week. I check every other day or so. It only takes a few moments to check and it’s worth it to me to avoid a virus or trojan or other undesirable electronic critter.

Ditto Lamar

I just spent the better part of two evenings on the phone with my father-in-law cleaning up his pc after he got the 'LoveBug' virus in an email. He was running McAfee, but hadn't updated his virus dat files since last year. This very nasty virus, and lots of others, is still around and still causing headaches.

Even a dialup connection is vulnerable to hacking. ZoneAlarm is free for personal use, easy to install and logs lots of attempts to access my pc over the modem connection.

Use the links in Tim's post above and get ZoneAlarm and update your virus definitions. It's the price of a connected world.

Rick

My computer is getting old but I've never experienced anything like you described.

Bob

Sure glad I was able to get to the forum tonight. Never heard of the need for a firewall with dial up connections. Have downloaded the program and will install as soon as disconnect. Thanks!

Kathy