Q & A
Deleting e-mails keeps them out of 'Filing Cabinet'

By Tamara E. Holmes
USA Today Assistant Tech Editor

Q. Is there a way to stop certain e-mail messages from being stored in my AOL Personal Filing Cabinet? I want to save the bulk of my mail when I open it, but I don't want to save all of the spam messages that I get.

A. The key to keeping junk e-mail from taking up room on your hard drive is to delete such messages as soon as you read them — or before you read them if you're able to discern that they are junk messages by the subject line. The Filing Cabinet serves as a place to store mail that you've already read so you can read it again if you want. But mail you instantly delete doesn't go to the Filing Cabinet.

Q. I tried to be taken off of a mailing list, but when I replied to the sender, my message went to everyone else on the mailing list, and I'm still on the list. Why did this happen?

A. Check the bottom of one of the mailing list messages for instructions for removing yourself from the mailing list. The e-mail address you're supposed to send "remove" requests to is not necessarily the e-mail address from which the message was distributed. Some lists allow only the list manager to transmit messages to subscribers, while others allow everyone to send e-mail messages to everyone else, often by sending mail to a master e-mail address. The e-mail address you sent your "remove" request to might be the e-mail address that list members' send messages that they want all members of the group to receive.

Q. What does AUP stand for?

A. AUP is an acronym for Acceptable Use Policy. It's basically a contract or user agreement that subscribers to Internet services must agree to before using the services. If a subscriber doesn't adhere to the stipulations of the policy, that could be grounds for the Internet service provider to cut off service. For example, an AUP might forbid subscribers from transmitting pornographic images or require that they refrain from sending junk e-mail.

Q. How can I tell if I should use QuickBooks or Quicken to manage my finances?

A. While both of the programs by Intuit are designed to help you manage your money, they target different segments of the population. Quicken is a personal finance program, ideal for tracking your personal or your family's finances. It offers such features as checkbook balancing, budget planning and debt consolidation planners. If you are looking for a program to help you manage the cashflow of a small business, QuickBooks would be your best bet.

Holmes answers questions daily at usatoday.com/tech.htm.