Email is a wonderful thing, but it would be much nicer if it wasn't for all
that spam.
The best way to stop spam is to delete it without looking at it. Don't read
it. Don't unsubscribe. Just delete it. There are some sites who are paid by
their sponsors for every visitor, so even visiting their sites can encourage
spammers. If nobody responds to the spam, eventually it will go away. In the
meantime, there are a few things you can do to reduce the amount of spam you
get in your mailbox.
I am one of the lucky people who does not get much spam. I get an average of
less than one a day. I really don't know why, and if I did know, I would bottle
it and sell it. In the meantime, I just keep my fingers crossed (even though it
is hard to type that way). I do take a few precautions that do help, but that
doesn't account for all my good luck (and I suspect it is just luck). Here are
a few things you can try if you are getting a lot of spam.
Email Address on your web page
If you have a web page, include a Java Script that will prevent automated
address collectors from recognizing your address. Before I installed it I was
getting quite a bit of spam at my web page address. Now I get maybe two or
three a week. Also, when inserting you email address on your web site, use the
ASCII representation instead of the actual letters. For example, instead of
using "high5" in my email address below, I use
"high5".
Check the "To" line on your Email
My sister gets between 150 and 200 spam emails a day. Obviously it is very
discouraging to have to wade through that much trash just to find one email
that she wants to see. And if she goes away for several days, the number is
staggering.
On a recent visit to her home, I discovered that a great many of the emails
were not even addressed to her. For example, let us pretend her email address is
fox@abc.com. She was getting emails addressed to fax@abc.com, faq@abc.com,
lox@abc.com, fox@acb.com and on and on ad infinitum. I put a filter in her
Outlook Express that would delete any email that did not have her correct email
address on
the To line. It reduced the spam she found in her Inbox by about 85%. Now,
instead of having to deal with 150 to 200 emails a day in her Inbox, she only
has to deal with 25 or 30. Still a nuisance to be sure, but a lot easier to
handle.
Use a Password
If you use email only to communicate with a few friends and relatives, use a
password to validate an email. Set up a Message Rule that will only accept an
email that includes a certain word.
The word could be in the subject line or in the body of the message. For
example, you could write to everyone in your address book and tell them to use
the word swordfish in the subject line, or use the word macaroni in the body of
the message. Make sure you use a word that is easy to spell. Chrysanthemum
would not be a good word to use.
Use Several Addresses
The password idea would only work for individuals you correspond with. If you
subscribe to any newsletters on the internet you would have to try something
else. Obviously you can't expect someone who sends out several hundred
newsletters to type a specific password, just for you.
For this type of email, set up a separate email account, and set up a Message
Rule that only accepts email with a certain word in it. For example, if you
subscribe to the Fred Langa newsletter, only accept an email that contains
"Langa" in the body. For other newsletters, determine a word that always
appears in the newsletter, and add that to your list of acceptable words.
Spam Software
There are many sites on the internet offering anti-spam software. I started to
make a list of links, but found too many to list here. Go to a search engine
and look for spam software. Some of these are free, while others require that
you buy them. Most, however, offer a free trial.
