E-mail viruses
With all the computer viruses going around, it's no wonder that people are so afraid that something bad will happen to your computer. There are a few misconseptions that are out there. One is that opening an e-mail can cause a virus to atack your computer. The truth is is that a virus has to be activated. Most virus come in .exe files or other executable files. If you recieve an executable file from someone that you do not know or don't trust then delete it.
I will not say that it is impossible for someone to create a virus that will attack when you open an e-mail. Java enabled browsers can cause problems when accessing web based e-mail. I am no expert on the subject though. Just take comfort in the fact that no one has developed an e-mail like that yet. Any e-mails from friends you get about a bad virus saying "If you get an e-mail called 'Win a trip!' Then delete it" is probably not true. Unless there is an executable file in the e-mail then go ahead and open it. You are probably more likly to hear about true viruses on the news first.