I totally agree this means you are becoming increasingly aware of what to watch out for!! YAY!! those are the kinds of things I love to see. I love the JL cards they are all so great, I have never seen or heard of one being used maliciously but of course any thing can be changed in the hands of evil doers. Scanning them as soon as you save it to the pc by right clicking is always the best way to go, if you can not right click and scan in your email you always have the option to save to disc rather than just open, do that, once saved immediately right click and choose to scan with your AV and or malware programs, then if clean open it if not send it to the recycle bin unopened then empty the recycle bin.

To set the record straight on e-cards and viruses - established companies like Blue Mountain do not send emails out that have viruses in them. I don't know about other companies, but there are quite a few out there. Blue Mountain did have a problem but it was over five years ago. Most viruses are sent through "phishing" - that is, the email SAYS it is from Blue Mountain or your bank, or Amazon, or some other trusted entity, when actually it is NOT sent from there. How to tell if you're being "phished"? Well, at the very bottom of a standard browser there is a title bar. When you put your mouse cursor over a link, the address that the link is going to appears in that bar. If it doesn't say amazon.com or bankofamerica.com or what-have you, it is not coming from that site. To try to fool you it may say amazon.something.com. That's not amazon.com. But something.amazon.com IS amazon.com. There HAVE been instances of phishers who have been able to show a fake address in that browser bar. But they were able to do this only on Internet Explorer browser as far as I know, and IE may have solved this issue, so make sure, if you MUST use IE, or any other Microsoft product, to keep it upgraded and up to date. And practice safe web surfing - when you search for something, don't go to just any site that pops up in the search results. Look at the description and check the address in that address bar before you click.

There are some animated e-cards that I have rec'd from friends from the Jacquie Lawson series for the 4th of July and Valentines Day. They are beautiful and you subscribe to the service. But, you are right to remind me about the about the possibility of a virus. Me, I write hand-written notes for birthdays and times of stress. I really have stuff in my heart for those people and need to let them know. Can't stand sing songy cards that are sent to through the mail with just a signature without much thought of the message on it. Some sent to me have hurt me badly. For example: When my husband was in Vietnam for our first anniversary I got a printed card from his dopey faher's wife that said that this must be the best day of the year for me. When I had cancer I was told that it was operable and my chances were good. After the surgery I got a grim card from a neighbor that said "we are sorry the news is so bad right now and are praying that things get better. I thought everyone was lying to me about my future and became very isolated from my friends and family. Those taking care of me went to her and let her it. Her facts were wrong and she didn't read the card before she sent it.

I used to send lots of cards out all the time and contact with some at this time of year only and now its no one sends cards out and I miss that alot, loved it at this time year and receiving cards daily in mailbox, now nothing. And also this special place that had beautiful good cards from England and prices fantastically low priced and would buy up lots on sale each year and lost that store twice, it was bought and then that was sold. We lost good place for cards. Also postage here is too expensive for me to do anything like that and its hard but why send out when they won't send back to you and so I gave up then. Enjoy your cards you all that receive them and give them out. kathy