From The Naked PC issue #5.05...

Spam vs. Newsgroups

by Dan Butler
February 28, 2002

We all get spam in our email -- all that garbage that clutters up your inbox. If you've ever wondered how they got your name and what you can do about it, this series should help.

Some of the most helpful user-to-user information on the Internet is found on interactive Bulletin Boards and newsgroups. These are also the source of some of the spam you receive. The problem is that spammers use automated programs to extract your email address from those forums, then sell your address to spammers who fill your email box with meaningless trash. How can you stop them?

The first thing you'll want to do is consider using a throwaway email account. Yahoo!, HotMail, and others let you set these up for free. One annoyance is you have to check your mail apart from your Web browser. The bigger issue is, these services are magnets for even more spam, compounding the problem.

A second solution would be an account with a service like SpamMotel:
http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/505/tr.cgi?dan1

Spam Motel generates unique addresses you assign to various sources. Then when email comes in you know where it was generated. We have several The Naked PC readers who use this service successfully.

I like the way this service works. Other services, like SpamCop, require people who want to send you mail to jump through hoops. I find it frustrating and time consuming, especially if the SpamCop user contacted me first. The Spam Motel model is much more reasonable.

You may try adding extra letters to your email address. If your address was me@example.com you might use me@NO_SPAMexample.com when you post. This works okay with one caveat. Make sure you put the extra characters on the right hand side of the "@" character.

me@NO_SPAMexample.com <- correct
meNO_SPAM@example.com <- incorrect

What is the difference? The second form still sends email to your ISP. So it still ties up the server and increases the work your administrators must go through. The correct way causes the email to never leave the originating server.

Do these techniques help? They can. But the fact remains that if you participate in public boards you'll receive spam from those postings. No easy way around it.

One simple solution is to ask your ISP for an email alias. This is a second address for your main mailbox. So all mail sent to your main address and your alias go to the same mailbox. Then filter email to the alias to a different folder. Give your real email address only to your close friends and family. If your real address is already in wide use, get an alias to use for that.

These ideas should help you as you go interact with others on the Internet. Here are a couple of ideas for handling spam in general.

Learn to use your email program's filters. Filter anything not addressed to you to a folder. This won't stop all of it but it will help. One tip on setting up filters. While it's tempting to delete mail you think is spam, consider moving it to a folder instead. You never know when one of your filters will pick a piece of legitimate email. Just check the spam folder periodically and delete anything you don't need.

Here's a very important tip. *Never* reply to a spam in order to be removed from the list. All this does is alert the spammer that your address is valid and you can rest assured that your address will be sold far and wide and your spam increase exponentially.

Next issue I'll discuss how spammers deliver email to you without even knowing your address.

You can reach Dan Butler at:
mailto:danbutler@TheNakedPC.com

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