Book details of 'Degunking Your Email, Spam, and Viruses'

Title	Degunking Your Email, Spam, and Viruses
Author(s)	Jeff Duntemann
ISBN	193211193X
Language	English
Published	October 2004
Publisher	Paraglyph Publishing

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Reviewer Rob Slade wrote:
Lots of books have "quick tips" at the front these days. Usually these are nothing more than promotional fluff, designed to convince you that the author Knows Important Stuff. However, when I perused the suggestions for what to do about email and viruses if you had limited amounts of time, I was quite impressed that Duntemann had, in fact, carefully selected those tasks that would give the most protective value for the temporal coin. I could cavil at a few, but generally this list is very well chosen for those readers who do need to get started right away. Chapter one is an introduction, defining the various problems, and outlining the "12-step" program that structures most of the rest of the book. Although chapter two is supposed to be about creating an email strategy it doesn't go quite that far. But Duntemann does provide guidance on the type of email user you are, and notes the importance (which varies) of having alternative email addresses. Various email clients, and important features, are reviewed in chapter three. The advice is good (although I don't know why he is dissing Pegasus :-) Chapter four outlines good email habits, and effective practices for using and managing email. The advice on maintaining contact and synchronization on the road, given in chapter five, is helpful to travelers although I am not sure that it a) applies to everyone, and b) is a "gunky" problem. Chapter six provides valuable advice for managing stored or saved messages. Chapter seven describes the situation with regard to spam, and suggests the standard actions to avoid it. The concepts and tools for spam filtering are outlined in chapter eight. Chapter nine walks the reader through the installation and "training" of POPfile, while ten lists arguments against non-Bayesian spam prevention filters and systems. Chapter eleven is a good introduction to the broad categories of malware. The choice and evaluation of antiviral programs, given in chapter twelve, is quite decent, although the space and precedence given to the "three sisters" seems to be excessive: companies like Sophos, F-Prot, and Avast turn out technically superior products and are hardly "obscure." Spyware and adware, as well as suggestions to limit them and products to deal with them, are covered in chapter thirteen. Chapter fourteen has good advice about dealing with worms (although I'm surprised that Duntemann did not mention turning off DCOM, which would probably have saved his friend some grief). Chain letters and scams are discussed in chapter fifteen. (I was teaching in Nigeria when I read this book, so I found the coverage of the 419 scam ironic. Nigeria isn't in chaos: it just seems that way.) Chapter sixteen finishes off with advice on what to do if you *have* been hit with something nasty. The book has a lot of very practical and useful information. It is written at a level that any intermediate user, and many intelligent novices can use directly without further experimentation. (A few items could use more detail: how do you turn an .iso file into a bootable CD?) I would recommend this as an excellent reference to have to hand for pretty much any computer user. copyright Robert M. Slade, 2004
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Book description:

The Internet and email has become a communications bonanza, allowing people to socialize, do business, shop, and enhance their education just about anywhere there is a computer. As convenient as all this communication is, it also creates piles of electronic clutter that accumulate on your computer, creating a blizzard of overstuffed files, annoying spam, and pop-ups, and making you vulnerable to dangerous hackers and viruses. Degunking Your Email, Spam, and Viruses is organized according to a special cleaning process and written in everyday language that is designed for all computer users. With our unique 12-step Degunking program, you'll learn all the tried-and-true techniques to keep your computer clutter-free of spam and viruses and running well. The unique Degunking with Time Limitations chart shows how you can improve your computer's performance and keep your email better organized, regardless of whether you have ten minutes or a few hours. This book also provides information and links to free utilities and programs that will help you get rid of viruses, manage your email better, and protect your computer.