What to believe?
By RAINER ARNOLD Union Sentinel Publisher

RAINER'S RAMBLINGS

In recent weeks I have been inundated with material and information of a variety of topics and I can honestly tell you I did not know what to believe. Let me give you some examples of the issues that I have struggled with.

The first thing that comes to mind is my computer. And, since I actually live by the computer, this was an important issue. I crank my computer up a couple of weeks ago and this little box pops up and tells me that I have some virus that is trying to attack my computer and that I need to click on this box to have my computer scanned.

Well, it sounded like a Microsoft talk and so I clicked on the box. Then another box popped up that said they would scan my computer for viruses and dangerous adware. Well, I don't know about that kind of stuff and so I clicked on it and it started to scan.

Of course, I had bunches of viruses and other bad things on my computer. The box then told me to click on it to remove the viruses. And that is where I hesitated because it did not ask me for money like a lot of other things do. So, I called the service line of the Anti-virus program I had. After finally getting through, they told me it was a good thing that I did not click on that box to eliminate the viruses. That action would have allowed the virus to spread throughout the computer and disabled the computer.

So, I asked them why their program did not stop it. The reply was standard in as much as no program can stop them all. But they were going to analyze my system and send me a program to remove this virus. Well, they did not send anything and it got worse. So I tried to go on the web and get another program. Well, some of those were shaky as well and I was now gun-shy. So, I decided to take the advice of a friend that had used a computer repair guy in Hiawassee at Totally Computers, Don Schrock. I decided to put my trust in a friend's recommendation. I took the computer to the guy, he fixed it quick and at a reasonable price. But, he did tell me it was badly infected with 8 viruses and over 300 active spyware issues.

Another instance of what to believe. I had this little piles of sawdust around the base of the house on the porch. I asked some people and they told me several different things including that I better watch out for my house would soon be infested worse than if it had been infested by termites. Well, I was highly nervous. So, again, I turned to a friend who turned me on to an exterminator and he came out and looked at the problem and told me that it was not bad and took care of the problem, reasonably.

The same has happened to me with my truck, my motorcycle and my jet skis. So, now I just ask friends as to whom do they take their trucks, cars, jet skis to and that is what I do. I learned to believe that my friends are the best source of good information and just thought I might pass that along since there is always someone out there that has a need for something. After all, that is what friends are for. RIGHT??!!!