[Rock Lobster]

Hey all
I'm wondering how everyone combats spam emails. I'm starting go get far too many per day and, dammit, it's starting to bug me. I've not previously used anti-spam filtering... I'm wondering if this is solely a function of whatever is offered by your email provider, or the email software you use, or if there are any other techniques y'all use to block unwanted advertising while still receiving mail you want (like mail from mailing lists, etc.).
Hopefully this topic has not been discussed to death in the past... I did a quick search for "anti-spam" on here and only turned up one not-so-related thread.
I have heard of people using separate email accounts for spam filtering, but I'm not sure how this works.
What do y'all think.
Rock

P.S. I'm using Outlook on OS9 thru Bell Sympatico High Speed.

 

[CubaMark]

Hm

OS9, eh? The first suggestion is to move to OS X as soon as you're able, and take advantage of Mail.app's built-in junk mail filter.

You could always create filters ("rules") that look for certain words and move the files to the trash, but that only works to a certain degree.

Some ISPs enable spam-filtering at the server level (We do this at Chebucto.ca), which has cut down by about 95% the junk.

Proactive tips to prevent junk mail include creating a hotmail or yahoo account which you use for any web-based subscriptions, mailing lists, etc., rather than your "main" account, which you should only give to your friends and those you trust. I use @canada.com for stuff like that.

M.

 

[SpanishJoe]

Here's some general tips to keep your main accounts spam-reduced... although it's too late for your current account, and you may need to start up another one. Luckily, sympatico lets you set up a new e-mail account for free...

1) Make a spam account. This account is used only for web registrations, and other high-spam-risk activities. A good one is Molson (beer.com, iamcanadian.ca), but there are other good old standby accounts, such as hotmail.

2) Never use your main e-mail account as a login for freeware, shareware, or trialware.

3) Don't sign up for contests. If you do, use your spam account.

4) Beware the newbie. If your friends sign you up for garbage like joke-of-the-day lists, your e-mail address is tainted forever. Only give them your main account for e-mail if they can be trusted. Otherwise, use the spam one.

5) Get your e-mail off public web pages. Including your own. If you must, spell out the AT so that web agents can't find your name like this : joe AT blo DOT com.

There ya go. Hope this helps.

-SJ.

 

[ehMax]

Interesting Apple Knowledge Base article on the subject regarding how spammers use HTML email to find out if your email address is valid.

 

[elmer]

There is a huge section on Spam in the Security Webpage At Macintouch.com

 

[MacDoc]

Spamfire works well - easy to setup a bit cumbersome as it has to be open.

I have found Outlook pretty effective altho it's specific blocking rules a cumbersome the automatic works pretty well with few errors ont he real mail side and quite good blocking on the spam side - some will always get through tho'.