Avoiding Spam

There aren't many things in this world more irritating than having to shift through message after message of spam mail in order to find that one message from a friend or professor. For those who don't know, spam mail is the term for junk e-mail. There isn't much you can do once you find yourself on spam lists, but there are some things you can do to help avoid getting on them.

Spammers, despised by everyone from the common user to the most elite hackers, have many tools at there disposal to make sure your mail box is filled with as much advertisements for junk you don't need as possible. The common user has very little that can help in the battle. Spam filters on email programs are no where near as effective as they sound, since it is the spammer's job to find a way around them. They do this by varying subject lines, changing their email addresses, and basically studying everything anti-spam software looks for and the things they don't. Blocking email addresses is also pointless, since very rarely does the spammer ever use the same address again.

The best advice to give in regards to spam is to be careful where you use your email address on the internet. Spammers pay good money to various businesses and services for lists of email addresses to send out to people. Every time your e-mail address is used on the internet to sign up for a newsletter or an account on some site, you run the risk that your address will be sent out to people.

Here are some tips to help cut down on the spam you receive:

• Create an e-mail account on Yahoo or Hotmail and use that account to sign up for newsletters or web site memberships. Both have some form of spam filters to help cut down the junk, and your USD account remains clear to receive important messages from those people you want mail from.
• NEVER, EVER click the link to unsubscribe to a spam message you get. All that does is let the spammers know that the account is one that someone looks at, and is the green light that tells them to send even more spam to it.
• If you find yourself receiving a lot of spam, you can try using an e-mail client like Mozilla Thunderbird, which has a built in junk filter that will remove spam to a separate folder. See their site to learn how to set it up.