In general, I never open an attachment to an e-mail message from a person I cannot identify. This policy is one that experts in the computer industry have advised me to follow. You should be safe if you maintain anti-virus software. My university has a site license with one of the large vendors (http://www.mcafee.com/); my computer at home came with Norton Anti-Virus which, for a small fee, one can keep up to date very easily. As we have all seen in the last few hours, viruses spread very easily. Everyone using a computer should stay on guard. For links to anti-virus programs, see http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/article/0,aid,45984,00.asp K. Austin Kerr Professor of History, Ohio State University [log in to unmask] http://people.history.ohio-state.edu/kerr.htm