hi scrapps
one of the first rules of spam busting is
NEVER REPLY
the second rule is
NEVER OPEN THE MAIL
the reasons for both rules are the same...
doing so lets the spammer know they have located a valid email address. and yes, they can tell if you have merely opened the mail, even if you immediately delete it.
there are plenty of filters available, depending on which email client you use. i have never had to resort to filters, mainly because i follow the first two rules so religiously.
another good step to follow is to use a different email address when you apply for newsletters or have to give a site an email address. don't give 'em the main one, is what i'm saying.
REPEAT RULE ONE AND RULE TWO.
<g3>
next, think about adding something to your email address (such as the letters REMOVE) to thwart address harvester bots from scooping up your addy and spamming you. check the way i have my email address spelled out on my si profile.
another good idea... just because some site asks for your email address doesn't mean you have to supply it. or if they must have some address, make one up. lots of companies now are automatically asking for your email addy, if you've noticed. give 'em the nancy reagan treatment... JUST SAY NO. <g3>
there are also plenty of commercial spam buster programs, but imo they all have at least one or two drawbacks that make them a hassle to deal with.
to give you some real numbers, i receive about 5-12 spam emails per day, average. it comes in spurts, but it is now manageable. i follow RULE ONE AND RULE TWO very very carefully. i do not fall for the spammer's tricks, like when they put "re:" in the subject line in an attempt to make me think it's a reply to something i sent them.
spam will never disappear, but with personal practices bordering on militancy, you can get the sheer numbers down to a half dozen or fewer per day.
hope this gets you off on the right track
:)
mark |
