Internet Filters - Filters are programs that remove or block certain items from being displayed. Four widely used internet filters are web filters, anti spam, programs, phishing filters and pop up blockers.

Web Filters, web filtering software is a program that restricts access to certain material on the web. Some restrict access to specific web sites, other filter site that use certain wordd or phrases. Many businesses use web filtering software to limit employee's web access. Some schools, linraries and parents use this software to restricts access to minors. Windows 7 contains parental controls, which allow parents to record and control the types of content their childern can access on the internet.

Anti spam programs spam is an unsolicited e-mail message or newsgroup posting sent yo many recipients or newsgroup at once. The content of spam ranges from selling a product or service, to promoting a business opportunity, to advertising offensive material. An anti spam program is a filtering program that attempts to remove spam before it reaches your inbox. If your e-mail program does not filter spam, many anti spam programs are available at no cost on the web. Internet access providers often filter spam as a service for their subscribers.

Phising filters phising is a scam in which a perpetrator attempts to obtain your personal and financial information. A phishing filter is a program that warns or blocks you from potentially fraudulent or suspicious web sites. Some web browsers or suspicious web sites. Some web browsers include phishing filters.

Pop up blockers a pop uo ad is an internet advertisment that suddenly appeasrs in a new window in the foregrouns of a web page displayed in your browser. A pop up blocker is a filtering program that stops pop up ads from displaying on web pages. Many web browsers include a pop up blocker. You also can download pop up blockers from the web at no cost.

File compression a file compression utility shrinks the sized of a file. A compressed file takes up less storage space than the original file. Compressing files frees up room on the storage media and improves system performance. Attaching a compreesed file to an e-mail message, for example, reduces the time needed for file transmission. Uploading and downloading compressed files to and from the internet reduces the file transmission time.

Two types of commperssion are lossy and lossless. With lossy compression, because the quality of a file decreases slightly each time the file is compressed, you will be unable to restore the file to its exact orginal state. With audio and video files, small degradations in quality usually are not recognizable : thus, lossy compression often in used in these types of files. With lossless compression, by contrast, a comprossed file can be returned to its exact orginal state. Text files typically use lossless compression.

Comprossed files, some times called zipped files, usually have a .zip extension. When you receive or download a compreesed file, you must uncompress it. To uncompress, or unzip, a file, you restore it to its orginal form. Some operating systems such as windows include file compression and uncompression capabilities, Two popular stand alone file compression utilities are PKZIP and WINZip.