Hi John / Muriel (although I hope Muriel is well on her way to N.S. by now - have a great time!) Just to straighten out a couple of technical issues and hopefully shed a little light on the subject of PDF files. First although the Adobe company "sponsored" the development of the PDF format (and consequently are the leader in its use) it is what is called an "Open" standard which means it can be used by anyone who wants to write software to make and / or read PDF files. Look around - you will find quite a few other companies making PDF creators - and much cheaper that Adoby's "Acrobat." BUT, be your own judge on the quality and facility of that software Application! Second, the basis of the worry about opening a PDF document from an unknown source: The PDF format was generated as a brilliant solution to what was becoming a major problem some years ago when every document generating "Application" used it's own file format "standard." There was the silly situation developing that two people / companies wanting to exchange software documents HAD to agree to use the same software! The PDF format allowed people to exchange documents freely - knowing they would be accurately rendered - without having to buy multiple "Applications" all doing basically the same thing. As usual, however, there were developments way beyond what had been foreseen during the original development of the PDF standard and as various Applications developed fancier, and cleverer, "tricks" these have been accommodated within the PDF standard (well some of them.) Sounds good? Well some of the new tricks allow for instructions in a PDF document to actually send commands directly to your computer, many without asking your permission! This is exactly what you need if you want to infest a computer with a virus, or to install spy ware. You just bury your "mall-ware" in an otherwise innocent looking PDF file. Now obviously the people developing the PDF specification were aware of this danger but, probably correctly, decided that they had to keep up with the needs for a truly "portable" (the "P" in Portable Document Format ) file format or become obsolete. So, therein lies the issue. "Portable" documents in PDF format are up there along with "sliced bread" as far as great inventions go but they come with a responsibility for the user to use them wisely. (Don't forget you can buy mass-produced, "plastic," bread in the "sliced" format too. :-) ) John's right about the usefulness (is that a word?) of the PDF format and Muriel's right about not accepting them from unknown sources. See, there is a way for everyone to be right! Sorry to "rattle" on about non-genealogy stuff, but these things are getting to be important to all computer users. Malcolm Archive CD Books Canada Inc. President: Malcolm Moody PO Box 11 Manotick Ontario, K4M 1A2 Canada. (613) 692-2667 WEB SITE: http://www.ArchiveCDBooks.ca > Date: Fri, 6 Jul 2007 11:03:07 -0400 > From: "muriel m davidson" <muriel_davidson@sympatico.ca> > Subject: [CAN-ONT-SIMCOE] Learning A New E-Mail Skill! > To: <john.laurie.wright@sympatico.ca> > Cc: can-ont-simcoe@rootsweb.com > Message-ID: <007001c7bfde$c35d8740$0a02a8c0@your4dacd0ea75> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" > > Hello John -- > I knew someone would question my statement. > However, when a posting bounces, I have to click on the > given URL, enter my password, then check whether I should > Admit, Defer, {ones that are discarded} or send to myself. > Should I get an email address like etain.shrdky@youknow.pdk.uk > You can guess what I do --- DUMP THE CRITTER. > > I could let them go to the list and everyone might get his or her > computer contaminated, but that is not the way I work. > > Thanks for the experienced information -- I am talking about > SPAM items -- do not open unless you know the person. > Possibly you do not know what I mean unless a list administrator. > > PDF files have their uses, as I know -- I use Adobe a great deal, > but I am talking about those people who have nothing better to > do than send us JUNK which could damage a computer. > Thank heaven they come to me first -- but there might be a slip-up. > > Muriel > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "John Wright" <john.laurie.wright@sympatico.ca> > > Hi Muriel > > I agree 100% with deleting part/most of the an email message before > responding to the list. > > However, must question your advice regarding pdf files.

Thank you, Malcolm!! I was sure I'd read PDFs had been hit too, but I wasn't positive, so "for once" kept my fingers still! One major thing that wasn't mentioned is Rootsweb itself won't allow attachments on the mailing lists. They do allow them to be added on the message boards. Ruth

Ruth -- I have had six bounced emails already this morning, each with PDF in the address -- Mailman is the new mailing part of Rootsweb, and when an email is in question, it is left to the list admin to DEFER [get rid of it]/ ADMIT/ FORWARD to list admin. I work with PDF - Adobe Acrobat on the 1911 census and yesterday the census lists were shut down -- we could not view the images. Should anyone wish a sample, I will forward. Muriel ----- Original Message ----- From: "R. Berden" <berden@advnet.net> To: <can-ont-simcoe@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, July 07, 2007 8:26 PM Subject: Re: [CAN-ONT-SIMCOE] Learning A New E-Mail Skill! Thank you, Malcolm!! I was sure I'd read PDFs had been hit too, but I wasn't positive, so "for once" kept my fingers still! One major thing that wasn't mentioned is Rootsweb itself won't allow attachments on the mailing lists. They do allow them to be added on the message boards. Ruth

LOL NO! NO Muriel! You can keep them, thank you any how! I was sure (but not positive) I had read where PDFs had been hacked too, with intent of infecting computers for whatever their tiny little minds thought they'd benefit from. I had forgotten about the "new and improved" Rootsweb had done, until Malcolm mentioned it. I was just looking at the Help section of Rootsweb and did see where they do talk about attachments. They seemed to have it in reference to the digest mode mainly. It would be a lot nicer if they put back their "no attachments" on the mailing lists and just stripped them off. Also while in Help, they have two announcements at the top of the page: 1 Newsletters, RootsWeb Review: 2007-07-06 MSN/Hotmail and AT&T Blocking MSN/Hotmail and AT&T are currently blocking mass mailings such as our RootsWeb Review and some mail lists. We have temporarily stopped attempting to deliver it to those addresses. You may need to contact MSN/Hotmail or AT&T and let them know that you want the RootsWeb mail. The address to have 'whitelisted' for the Review is: rootswebreview@email.rootsweb.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 FTP: 2007-07-06 FTP to the WWW server (users.rootsweb.com) is again experiencing problems. We apologize for the inconvenience. It's possible you'll get more bounces. Not fun trying to get back on lists you've bounced from, thanks to poorly set filters by ISPs. My mail shows paper clips more often than not and I only pay attention to them if I open the message and nothing is showing. That's when I know for sure there's an attachment! As always Muriel, I sincerely appreciate all your time and effort for our list. YOU make it one of the best that Rootsweb offers! Ruth

Hello Malcolm -- Sorry to disappoint you, Malcolm -- unless you prefer a new list admin -- I am not leaving for Nova Scotia until August - please let me know. There was one bounce to the Simcoe list which I am certain nobody would care to have received -- list admins get rid of them but this one included .pdf and was sent from uk It had to be possibly dangerous or else Mailman would not have bounced it -- wish they would dump the critters themselves. Let me know -- do youwant a sample, Malcolm or a new list administrator -- I am only trying to keep the SPAM our of your computers. Muriel ----- Original Message ----- From: "Malcolm Moody" <malcolm@archivecdbooks.ca> To: <can-ont-simcoe@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, July 07, 2007 11:05 AM Subject: Re: [CAN-ONT-SIMCOE] Learning A New E-Mail Skill! Hi John / Muriel (although I hope Muriel is well on her way to N.S. by now - have a great time!) Just to straighten out a couple of technical issues and hopefully shed a little light on the subject of PDF files. First although the Adobe company "sponsored" the development of the PDF format (and consequently are the leader in its use) it is what is called an "Open" standard which means it can be used by anyone who wants to write software to make and / or read PDF files. Look around - you will find quite a few other companies making PDF creators - and much cheaper that Adoby's "Acrobat." BUT, be your own judge on the quality and facility of that software Application! Second, the basis of the worry about opening a PDF document from an unknown source: The PDF format was generated as a brilliant solution to what was becoming a major problem some years ago when every document generating "Application" used it's own file format "standard." There was the silly situation developing that two people / companies wanting to exchange software documents HAD to agree to use the same software! The PDF format allowed people to exchange documents freely - knowing they would be accurately rendered - without having to buy multiple "Applications" all doing basically the same thing. As usual, however, there were developments way beyond what had been foreseen during the original development of the PDF standard and as various Applications developed fancier, and cleverer, "tricks" these have been accommodated within the PDF standard (well some of them.) Sounds good? Well some of the new tricks allow for instructions in a PDF document to actually send commands directly to your computer, many without asking your permission! This is exactly what you need if you want to infest a computer with a virus, or to install spy ware. You just bury your "mall-ware" in an otherwise innocent looking PDF file. Now obviously the people developing the PDF specification were aware of this danger but, probably correctly, decided that they had to keep up with the needs for a truly "portable" (the "P" in Portable Document Format ) file format or become obsolete. So, therein lies the issue. "Portable" documents in PDF format are up there along with "sliced bread" as far as great inventions go but they come with a responsibility for the user to use them wisely. (Don't forget you can buy mass-produced, "plastic," bread in the "sliced" format too. :-) ) John's right about the usefulness (is that a word?) of the PDF format and Muriel's right about not accepting them from unknown sources. See, there is a way for everyone to be right! Sorry to "rattle" on about non-genealogy stuff, but these things are getting to be important to all computer users. Malcolm Archive CD Books Canada Inc. President: Malcolm Moody PO Box 11 Manotick Ontario, K4M 1A2 Canada. (613) 692-2667 WEB SITE: http://www.ArchiveCDBooks.ca > Date: Fri, 6 Jul 2007 11:03:07 -0400 > From: "muriel m davidson" <muriel_davidson@sympatico.ca> > Subject: [CAN-ONT-SIMCOE] Learning A New E-Mail Skill! > To: <john.laurie.wright@sympatico.ca> > Cc: can-ont-simcoe@rootsweb.com > Message-ID: <007001c7bfde$c35d8740$0a02a8c0@your4dacd0ea75> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" > > Hello John -- > I knew someone would question my statement. > However, when a posting bounces, I have to click on the > given URL, enter my password, then check whether I should > Admit, Defer, {ones that are discarded} or send to myself. > Should I get an email address like etain.shrdky@youknow.pdk.uk > You can guess what I do --- DUMP THE CRITTER. > > I could let them go to the list and everyone might get his or her > computer contaminated, but that is not the way I work. > > Thanks for the experienced information -- I am talking about > SPAM items -- do not open unless you know the person. > Possibly you do not know what I mean unless a list administrator. > > PDF files have their uses, as I know -- I use Adobe a great deal, > but I am talking about those people who have nothing better to > do than send us JUNK which could damage a computer. > Thank heaven they come to me first -- but there might be a slip-up. > > Muriel > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "John Wright" <john.laurie.wright@sympatico.ca> > > Hi Muriel > > I agree 100% with deleting part/most of the an email message before > responding to the list. > > However, must question your advice regarding pdf files.