Do You Hate Spam?

Find out about software anti spam programs and what you can do to protect yourself!

I used to look forward to checking my email, but now it’s a tedious chore to delete the dozens of spam emails while searching for any “real” mail that might have come in.

Spam is any type of unsolicited commercial email. This annoying email is a waste of time, diskspace and bandwith, but unfortunately something we all must live with. Even though anti spam laws have been put in place, it is unlikely that people who send spam will adhere to these laws so the only thing left to do is to try to filter out as much of it as you can.

Spam is not to be confused with email newsletters or ezines that you have signed up for. Since you signed up, the sender has every right to send you the email and you most likely want to receive the email too so be sure not to filter out these addresses with your software anti spam program. These newsletters, however should have a clear “unsubscribe” link that you can click to be removed from their list. Sometimes, spam will disguise itself as email that you signed up for and will even have this “unsubscribe” link on the bottom, however this link never actually works, and only serves to notify the spammer that your email address is active.

How Spammers Get Your Email Address

Sadly enough, most spammers got your email address because you gave it to them! If you have ever posted in a forum or advertised on the internet and included your email then it was probably grabbed by a spammer. Spammers have robots that crawl the web looking for anything in the form of an email address, so if you have a web site with your email listed on it or you are published in any kind of directory or listed on a site, your email is sure to get on a mailing list. Unfortunatley, no software anti spam program can erase your email from these lists.

How Spam Can Be More Than Just An Annoyance

It’s not enough to see the dozens of spam emails that appear in your inbox overnight trying to sell you pharmaceuticals or fake rolex watches, but if you are unlucky enough to click on them you might be opening your system up to a virus! It’s estimated that 95% of all viruses are spread through email. Some viruses propagate by mailing themselves out to everyone on the infected computers address list while other, more sinister types open a a “back door” on the machine which spammers can use to send out more junk emails.

Protect Yourself With Software Anti Spam Programs And More

Unfortunately, once your email is out there, there is little you can do to get it removed from spam email lists. Attempting to “unsubscribe” from the spam email you get will only result in your getting even more email so don’t waste your time doing that.

You can always get a new email address and make sure you do not publicize it anywhere on the net. In fact, get two email addresses – you can use one as your “real” email that you divulge to friends and people you want mail from and the other for when you have to enter an email (if you order something or sign up for something) but suspect it might result in spam.

Be wary of any emails telling you that your application has been accepted, that have an re: in the subject line for a subject you never sent or that promise to give you a hot stock tip. Unless you were expecting such an email these are most likely spam and you should refrain from opening them.

Get a software anti spam program and set up the filters so that mails from offending ip addresses and domains are filtered out before you ever have to look at them.

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