Tracking cookies are old news really. Yes you are tracked but what harm does it do other than be annoying if you allow it to annoy you. This is not Google specific, they are all into this stuff. Remember not so long ago that Sony and Lexmark used keyloggers to spy on those who used their equipment? There is far too much good about computers for us to allow these things to mar our enjoyment. As long as we try to prevent blatant abuse that is about as much as we can do. In life we now get asked for phone number, post codes, driver's license number when they are not any part of the transaction and the weak kneed hand over that information. These are far more invasive than tracking cookies if you really consider it even for a few seconds. Companies have and will abuse at every opportunity.

I used a program called Jasc Paint Shop Pro (PSP7) There was a PSP8 & 9 before Coral took over with Coral Paint Shop Pro X. It lets you choose from a variety of arrows & Pointers to use.

I received the following in an email just this morning. never used the site but it sure seems more trouble than there is any personal gain. Facebook "dislike" button (and other viral scams) How it works: Frequent Facebook members know the "like" button doesn't always cut it. Though users would often like to voice their disapproval, experts are warning there's no such thing as an "official dislike button." That doesn't mean you won't see prompts to download this rogue application, or posts claiming your contacts are using it. The application will access your profile and spread the scam to your friends, family and coworkers. You might even be asked to fill out a survey first -- for which the crooks earn some cash. According to experts, the dislike button is the latest in a series of viral scams that usually feature fraudulent links to shocking or funny content. How to fight it: Experts advise caution when using any social media site. Ignore suspicious sounding ads, links and invites, even if they come from friends and followers. Beware of any generic updates in your news feed that seem out of character (like "OMG I just saw the funniest video. Lol.") or sound more like ad-speak than a legitimate status update. Be cautious about giving out your information or allowing any application you're not familiar with to access your data. Fortunately, the consequences of this particular Facebook scam are more embarrassing than dangerous. If you are caught, go into your application settings and delete the application. (See the report from security firm Sophos for more information.)

Hi, Ginny Some services (like Hotmail, Yahoo and Fastmail) have aliases, additional email addresses at which you can receive email but which are part of your main account. You can create these aliases for use specifically with certain recipients. One alias for shopping, newsletter sign-ups, etc. Another for message boards, twitter, youtube, etc. Another for business, etc. In fact, some people, knowing in advance that a certain service has aliases, will create an account with a username that they intend to use only for login purposes. They use only the aliases for actual sending/receiving of email. This helps keeps the account username secret and adds (a little) to the security of the account. For Gmail (the subject of this thread) the only place aliases can be used is with Google Apps (where they are called "nicknames"). But to use that you have to have your own domain. They're cheap, though: about $10/yr -- and Google Apps is free. But for regular Gmail account users, the only way to accomplish what you want is create a second (or third or fourth) account. Then, if you want to avoid always having to login and check both accounts, set up the second account to forward all incoming mail to your main account, and set up your main account to be able to send from the second Gmail account. Both of those are very easy to do. :-)