Can I vent here for a moment about well meaning, but clearly out-of-the-loop, friends who seem to think everything on the Internet, especially when it comes to safety, is a real situation that needs our attention and should be sent to every mailing list they are on?

In the last three days I have received no less than ten alerts about everything from a new virus to how to avoid being carjacked. In every case, there has been an entry on snopes (or your favorite urban legend site) that dispelled, disproved or denied the issue from the well meaning friend. And most of these have been kicking around since the turn of the century.

This holiday season, as we present our friends and loved ones with new and wonderful gifts, let us all take a minute to educate them in the proper use of the search string, the search engine and the delete key.

In my case, that is the button where the lettering is completely worn off.