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Ignoring
These Tips Could Result in an Inbox Full of SPAM
by: Anti Spam
League
Spam (definition) Unsolicited Bulk Email — noun. ‘Unsolicited’
means that the recipient has not given verifiable
permission for the message to be sent. ‘Bulk’ means
that the message is sent as part of a larger collection of
messages, all having basically identical content.
Although there still seem to be some differences among the
US Government, the lawmakers, the anti-spam organizations
and the spammers regarding what is spam and what is not,
identifying it is actually pretty easy: if you did not ask
for it, you did not sign up on a mailing list related to
it, and did not leave your e-mail address on a web form
asking for more information on it…it's spam! The spam
issue is not about content, but solely about delivery
method. The content of spam is and has always been
irrelevant. Again, if it is sent unsolicited and in bulk,
it is spam plain and simple.
Sure we want spam to stop. Nobody wants their e-mail
address cycling around from spammer to spammer. We can
delete it, but have you ever stopped to consider how much
time we actually spend each day hitting the ‘Delete’
button? We should not have to beg to be removed from
something we did not ask to be put on in the first place!
So where do we draw the line? When do we start thinking it
is not worth logging into our email account to read our
messages? Despite the effort of thousands of angry spam
victims pushing for stronger laws against spammers over
the last few years, not much progress has been done in
this respect. Moreover, in January 2004 the U.S.
Government has passed the CAN-SPAM Act, a law backed
overwhelmingly by spammers and large corporations, because
it legalized spamming instead of banning it. With the
passage of CAN-SPAM, spamming has become legal throughout
the United States. Now 23 million U.S. businesses can all
begin spamming email addresses as long as they give users
a way to opt-out. What CAN-SPAM makes illegal is the use
of open proxies or any form of resource misappropriation
as well as use of false headers, which for the top
spammers to avoid is business as usual.
We will not argue here about the motives of the US law
makers to pass the CAN-SPAM, but rather focus on the
problem of doing something about the spam in your mailbox.
By doing more than "just hitting delete", you
are helping to solve the problem. We should all exercise
our right of control, or we will lose it.
The million dollar question is whether it is possible to
stop spam. The most honest answer to this question is
probably not -- but you can significantly reduce it. Below
are some clear and simple tips to greatly reduce the
amount of spam you get:
1) Use a separate email address when you post messages to
public forums, such as newsgroups and mailing lists. Never
use your personal email address for this purpose -- or it
will end up flooded with spam.
2) Consider acquiring multiple email addresses for
different purposes. This helps to identify different
sources and senders, and allows you to filter more
effectively. For instance, you may have one for personal
use only by friends, family or colleagues that is never
used to request information or to subscribe to
newsletters, discussion lists, etc. Another might be used
just for sales inquiries or orders, or for making online
purchases.
3) You can subscribe to services online that provide you
with disposable addresses that can be deleted if they
begin to attract spam messages. This works because the
disposable email addresses actually forward to a real
email address of yours. The software lets you track which
addresses are getting spam, and you can just resubscribe
using a new, spam-free address. One company that offers
disposable email accounts is Sneakemail.
4) Remove your email address from your website. If you
list or link to your email address, you can expect to be
spammed. Thus, remove them wherever possible and use
web-based forms instead. This will drastically cut down
the amount of spam you receive if you have a
website.
5) NEVER buy anything from a company that spams. Do not
visit their sites or ask for more information from a spam
email that you have received. Over 95% of spam offers are
scams! In fact, not responding to spam is the single most
effective way to not get scammed on the Internet.
6) Filter your email. Using filters is key to managing
your email effectively.
7) Consider subscribing to a spam prevention service. Make
sure that any software or system you select gives you
control of which email you get and does not automatically
erase messages. Also, safeguard your newsletter and
discussion list subscriptions. If you, your ISP or web
host use spam filters or white lists, be sure to let them
know that you want to receive messages from any
newsletters or discussion lists that you subscribe
to.
8) Report the spam to agencies that maintain statistics.
Such agencies generally compile statistics that may be
useful in setting policy. One trusted anti-spam
organization where you can report spammers is the
Anti-SPAM League. Learn how to become a member for free by
clicking here.
9) Report fraudulent or otherwise illegal content to
appropriate authorities. While fraud per se is an issue
separate from spam, unsolicited email often contains
offers for illegal or fraudulent products.
10) Contact your Internet Service Provider. Although this
is unlikely to affect the amount of spam you receive since
it is not their fault that their system was attacked from
outside, ISPs want to know about spam attacks, either to
learn how to protect their system, or to set policy.
11) Contact the sender's Internet Service Provider(s).
Most ISPs in the world forbid their members to send spam.
Therefore, if your complaint is valid, then there is a
good chance the spammer will lose connectivity.
12) Demand restitution from the spammer. If you
continually receive spam from a single source, you have a
right to demand repayment for the time and resources the
spammer used.
13) Initiate legal action against the spammer. This should
be a last resort, as legal action is troublesome and
expensive. However, well-executed legal action may do more
than just get one spammer off your back: it may lower the
amount of spam on the Internet in general.
By forcing unsolicited and objectionable materials into
our mailboxes, spam impairs our ability to communicate
freely and costs Internet users billions of dollars
annually. You do not have to put up with it: your best
recourse is to protest to those who dump their trash on
your disk drives! Organizations such as The Anti SPAM
League give you the chance to report spamming companies
and individuals and access valuable information on how to
control the spam problem. The Anti SPAM League serves as a
resource to identify companies on the internet that are
safe to do business with. Also, to target which companies
are trying to capture your personal information for the
use of unsolicited mass marketing. Take a step forward in
the battle against spam. Learn how to become a member for
free by visiting www.Anti-Spam-League.org
About
The Author
The purpose of the Anti SPAM
League is to help consumers and business owners reduce the
amount of SPAM they receive. In addition, our Anti SPAM
organization believes that educating site owners in the
area of SPAM prevention and ways to successfully and
responsibly market their sites, is key in making a
difference.
www.Anti-Spam-League.org
mike
@ anti-spam-league.org
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