Yahoo has so many frustrating and annoying "features" that it is difficult to give a prize for the most problematic ones. However, there is no doubt that the Yahoo ID would be one of the finalists in that contest.

You can use our email groups without a Yahoo ID. As a matter of fact, some of our happiest subscribers don't have Web access, so they can't get a Yahoo ID.

However, if you want to access some of Yahoo's advanced features, you'll have to go through the agony of getting that ID. Once you have it, they will leave you alone - unless your ID has a problem.

Here's the process:

Go to http://www.oocities.org. You'll be asked for a Yahoo ID and a password. Click on the button that tells Yahoo that you don't have one, but that you'd like to get a new one. They'll make you give them a lot of information that you'd rather not share. Be especially careful about allowing them to sign you up for free bargains.

When you are through with that process, they will ask you to link your discussion groups (that's our Jewish groups) to your ID. Allow them to do that, and you'll have all your Jewish groups on a single screen, called My Groups.

When you click on any of those groups, you'll be able to make changes in your subscription status, participate in a poll, and do some of other things.

This procedure sounds simple. It isn't. It never goes this easily. There's always something that seems to go wrong.

As time goes on, I'll collect and post your emailed solutions on this website. Yes, you suffered with Yahoo, but we'll be able to help others, so that they won't have to suffer as well.