Guarding Against Spam

Spam is a persistent problem for most of us. As beneficial as email is, spam is the 'Dark Lord' of email that we all serve. Below are two bite-size guides for curtailing spam:


How To Stop Spam Dead In Its Tracks
By: Geoff White

Email spammers. Don't you just hate them? So just how to stop spam from arriving?

In an ideal world, there would be no spam. Trouble is, the whole game is based around numbers. Since it costs almost nothing to send email (especially if you use software that hijacks other people's internet connections) then it doesn't matter to the spammer if almost no-one responds to their unsolicited messages. One person in a thousand responding would send a spammer's heartbeat racing. It's likely a much lower response than that - and still the swines send out all those darned emails to you without asking whether or not you want to enlarge parts of your anatomy or whatever else it is they want to sell you today.

You can take these simple steps to reduce the amount of unsolicited commercial email (the posh name for spam) that you get:

1. Don't publish your email address in forums

Most forums and discussion groups know this, so they take steps to make sure you don't disclose your email address. Because as soon as your address is publicly available on the internet, spammers can use robots to grab it and send you those unwanted messages.

2. Don't use an "obvious" name as your email address

Especially if you use services like Hotmail and Yahoo Mail. If you use the format first name surname (plus maybe a number) @ wherever then all the spammer needs is a list of common first names and common surnames. Software will take care of guessing the rest. They don't care how many bounce either - this is a numbers game, remember - so if 50 guesses are wrong and 250 are right, you've got a happy spammer and an unhappy you.

3. Don't use the unsubscribe link unless it's an email you've asked to receive and are now bored with

Legitimate email services always offer a way to stop receiving messages. So if you once subscribed to a service telling you how to breed cheerful pit bull terriers but now no longer need the information, there is bound to be a link to stop future emails. These are fine. But if you get an email offering your free naked pictures of people or a year's supply of pills to [http://www.squidoo.com/lastinglongerinbed]improve your performance in bed, it's less likely you asked for that. So don't use the unsubscribe link if you didn't subscribe in the first place. It just tells the spammer that you're a real person and to send you more junk.

4. Be selective about who gets your email address

Reserve your main email account for close friends and family. Use a throwaway or free email address when you sign up to forums and email lists. Hotmail and Yahoo Mail work great for these and also offer extra filters to help make sure you only get the stuff you've signed up for.

5. Use software to help filter your inbox

Computers are good at sending spam. But they're also good at spotting it and filing it out of harm's way. Use a good software program to reduce the burden on yourself.

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Features And Benefits Of Anti-Spam Software

By: A Singh

The best anti-spam software is the one that gives you your privacy. Ideally, an anti-spam device should be the one that delivers only the emails you want, and blocks 100 percent of the emails you do not want. This, though, is never going to be possible. Spammers are always one step ahead, and the manufacturers of anti-spam filter tries to catch up.

Most anti-spam solution can be customized to your needs, and only the approved emails come into your inbox. Such software always presumes that all the incoming emails are spam, and only allow those, from the people you know, to come in.

Benefits of Anti Spam Software

Let us look at some of the benefits and features of anti-spam software:

Blocking Spam - Certain anti-spam solutions not only block specific email addresses, but also look for subject lines and text in the email messages. You can arrange to block incoming emails based on senders, and also if your email address is not in the recipient field.

Automatic Filter Updates - Most software programs for filtering Spam come with hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of filters built in. In addition, companies offering these software release new anti-spam filters regularly. This ensures that your anti-spam software is always up-to-date.

Creating Custom Filters - Some anti-spam programs allow you to create your own filters, depending on the spam you receive.

Quarantining Spam - Anti-spam filters automatically quarantine the spam emails, ensuring your inbox is spam free. Such quarantined emails are held for a fixed number of days, say 30 days or so, and then dumped. The delay allows you to check and recover any legitimate email that may have been quarantined.

Your Personal Whitelist - A feature in certain anti-spam software allows you to maintain a 'friendly' list of people whose emails you wish to accept. These emails are never mistaken for spam as against the blacklist of spammers. You can always update your 'whitelist,' as and when you wish to.

Monitoring Multiple Accounts - Other than deleting spam from your email account, this feature allows you to monitor and filter your email from multiple accounts. It allows you to filter your home email from work, and vice versa.

Reporting Spam - There is an option in certain anti-spam software to report back to the company supplying the program. This allows the companies to develop new filters based on the analysis of the reported spam.

Some anti-spam software allow you to block attachments. Certain executable attachments could damage your computer.

Emails have become a very popular way of advertising, and it is time that you start filtering your emails, to avoid spam. Most software available can be customized to suit your requirements, whether they are the home or the business versions. Get a Spam Filter now to block spam mails.

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