Hacker attack?

Me and a bunch of buddies read your "Buyer beware" [by Michael Citrome, Education and Technology supplement, Jan. 11] and we all downloaded NetZero, the ISP. The result is that we've been getting attacked like crazy by hackers. That system is full of hackers putting Trojans on our systems! Now we've got days and days ahead of us trying to run Norton anti-virus and McAffee anti-virus to remove the viruses and the Trojans. The system is severely undersecured. I strongly suggest that people not use NetZero. Find yourself some other cheap or free ISP unless you want major problems. And if you don't believe it, go ahead, give it a try. You'll find out and you'll be crying.

--Trojan Trouble

Corporate food problem

To comment on "Grocery chaos" [Jan. 18], I've always tried to avoid big-chain food stores. They mark up vegetables and advertise to attract people to their higher-priced goods. Loblaws is the only major vegetable seller in my town. People could use some good produce, but the prices, with no competition, are always inflated. As a result, people out here eat a lot of crap, which puts a strain on the health-care budget. Does Loblaws care? No. The bottom line is profit and paying for another yacht for the president of the company. As for corporate imperialism, most stores are bringing in products made with slave labour. What's the difference between ma and pa meat, or corporate meat? It used to be alive and most people care nothing about its suffering or the disgusting hell of the meat industry. Most city dwellers have no idea where the food comes from or the enormous chemical and toxic load put on the environment by their burgers and brie. All over the world, land is swallowed up by these multinationals and we are rendered increasingly powerless to deal with these problems. I left Montreal and now and now I'm stuck with only one choice. At least people in the Plateau can still go to ma and pa for the lower- priced produce.

--J.M. Wolowitz, St-Donat

Suicide by poverty?

Concerning your article about suicides in the metro ["Dead-body rumour shuts metros," Jan. 18], it is stated that "according to Claude Scherrer of Urgences Santé, metro suicides are roughly a once-a-week event." I have suspected this for a long time. I'm a part-time student at Concordia University and a welfare recipient with a disability. I collect cans and bottle, often in the metro, to help pay for my tuition fees. I used to see a man who did the same thing, who would jump onto the tracks to beat the competition. I haven't seen him for a while and don't know what's become of him. If you think too much about what you're doing, you realize that you're competing for $2-3 a day, collecting garbage. You then wonder whether you have more of a right to these cans than other people... It's enough to drive you crazy or to jump in front of a train. I am also a member of the welfare rights committee in Pointe Saint-Charles. Many people never expected to be on welfare and instead of getting straight to what their rights are, often have to be convinced not to commit suicide. Just two possible explanations out of many for suicides in the metro.

--Marina Tidbury