You'll get no argument from me when it comes to those settings.

If people were not so gung-ho about the out-of-the-box experience, MS would be at more liberty to harden the settings and let the user soften them up, instead of the other way around.

I get no end of grief in trying to convince inexperienced users to learn safe practices and strong settings. We tend to make MS out as the Exxon Valdez of the internet, when really, all they're trying to do is offer up the experience that everyone wants.

It would seem that MS would like everything to run as problem free as possible for the new, novice owner so they have deliberately left as many things out of the way as possible to ensure that end.

We've heard talk before about people being required to earn some level of user certification before we allow them to connect to the internet. A bit draconinan, in one sense, and we will never see that happen, I'm sure. but it would sure make the internet a safer place.

Experience tells us that about 90% of people are not self-learners, and even fewer will 'dig' for information that can benefit them. They want it on a plate. I've dealt with hundreds of people and never yet have I found someone who did not object to me hardening their system and requiring them to learn how to adapt to this stricter environment or usage. They just won't buy it.

When I get someone that actually WANTS to understand the reasoning behind all the strict settings I think I'll drop dead from surprise.

The saddest thing is that once a person adapts to a stricter policy, it enhances their experience, rather than hampers it, wouldn't you agree?

Well, I could go on and on with this discussion, I'm sure, but on this board I think I'm preaching to the choir.

One more setting in Outlook Express that I strongly recommend to users is in the Security Tab of the Tools..Options property sheet:

"Do not allow attachments to be saved..."

For us, this may be less necessary because we DO have our eye on what's happening, we DON'T open attachments, we DO preview using the Properties instead of the Preview Pane, we DO recogniae the value of seeing every file extension, and we're not click crazy. But for new users, it's another game entirely.

Most people will find ways to undo most of my security settings, eventually, or so I've found. The only thing I do now is coax them to give it a whirl and give themselves enough time to get used to the stricter environment.

The problem is not MS. I think Bill hit it right on the head when he said it is the USERS who are at fault, and not Windows, or any other OS for that matter. Now if Bill would put some of his money where his mouth is, I have just the idea for him to promote:

DON'T deliver that new computer until the customer has attended a few hours of FREE training in security settings, safe internet practices and proper maintenance of their systems. It's either this, or the alternative: shove it down their throat and don't allow them to turn off ANY automatic updating features in Windows, their COMPULSORY anti-virus and their COMPULSORY firewall. It would help if XP's firewall would block outgoing connections, too. There I go, dreaming again. All of these measures would put a damper on the OOBE.

Someone needs to make the first move, and we all know it's not going to be the users. Sad but true.

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