Phase 2: Revisiting the MAX232E overheating problem

Often after power up and code execution ... with the UART producing output ... Id touch the level converter and it will burn to the touch ... like really really hot. I have had this problem since I began setting up UART communication

Google turned up the following hits:
http://www.avrfreaks.net/forum/max232-heating-hell
http://www.electro-tech-online.com/threads/max232-gets-overheated.107364/

And rereading the documentation for the MAX232E indicates that (pg 9)

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The unused drivers’ inputs on the MAX205E–MAX208E,MAX211E, MAX213E, and MAX241E can be left unconnected because 400kΩ pull up resistors to VCC are included on-chip. Since all drivers invert, the pull up resistors force the unused drivers’ outputs low. The MAX202E, MAX203E, and MAX232E do not have pull up resistors on the transmitter inputs.
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Seems the the floating input TX2? maybe be picking up stray noise or getting amplified through the op-amp


So going forward I should either
a) connect together the TTL TX1 and TX2 inputs
b) tied the TTL TX* inputs to a pullup resistor ?
c) replace the MAX232E SMD with MAX232 SIP where this problem doesnt exist

So for now I connected the two TX* inputs and pulled it up to VCC via a ~260k resistor. For the DB9-ttl-rs232 adapter external circuit I simply soldered a wire between TX1_in and TX2_in