Hot News for Stamping Out Spam

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Steve Bass

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If I get any more spam, I'm going to upchuck--preferably in the lap of the spammer. Even with spam blockers and filters, having to sift through my junk in-box to find false positives still takes time away from my workday. That's in addition to the bandwidth that spam steals, a significant nuisance if you're on a dial-up connection.

I can't imagine spam will ever disappear, or even be legislated out of existence. So the best I can do is stay on top of current antispam technologies and experiment with new programs (and harangue my ISP early and often to do a better job of catching it on its end).

Streamline Your E-Mail

Before I launch into programs and technologies, here are a couple of things you can do to help prevent your e-mail from being misidentified as spam:

Always put something in the subject line. I generally ignore blank subjects unless I recognize the sender's name.

Keep the subject simple. Avoid words, expressions, and symbols that set off flags--say, exclamation points, or words such as FREE, opportunity, and Viagra. BTW, I understand that figuring out what to say in the subject line is often difficult. My policy is to use a simple sentence that's limited to about five or six words.

While I'm doling out advice, try this trick to reduce the time you spend with e-mail: Answer messages by responding only within the subject line. That's right--there's no message except for the subject. For instance, a buddy e-mailed me with info about an upcoming auto show. I replied with the subject line, "Got the auto show details-- thanks [EOM]."

The "EOM" means End of Message and it's a shorthand way of sending or answering e-mail that's simply a thank you or an acknowledgement. The trick helps reduce the number of e-mails that need to be opened; many of the people at PC World use the trick and it's increased everyone's productivity.

In fact, I have a boilerplate that uses the previous paragraph for the message; I reply with it once and most times people get the idea. Try it and maybe you'll convince other to do it, too.

Dig This: You've seen the latest advances in portable computing, right? [small image]

Stemming the Tide of Spam

Spammers are taking new steps to invade your in-box. Here are some of the best articles I've seen that tell what's in store for the future.

On the legislative front, spam may (or may not) be outlawed real soon now. I found a couple of stories that'll get you up to speed. "Antispam Law's Effectiveness Doubted" explains the CAN-SPAM law and how it may (or, here it is again, may not) have an impact on us. The question of "opt-in" or "opt-out," and whether any law has enough oomph to bite spammers, is covered in "Will Antispam Laws Bring Relief?" You'll get answers, though maybe not the ones you want.

The question is, "Will Computing Be More Secure in 2004?" The answer is, "maybe." The article details the creativity of spammers and the counterattacks from ISPs and MIS-types. The story focuses on productivity, security, and (especially) legal liability, and how these elements come into play in the fight.

Maybe suing the creeps is the answer. We'll find out because there's a strange, new relationship in town. Read about what may happen when "New York, Microsoft Team to Sue Spammers" and try to bankrupt a spammer. (Note to New York: Make sure all your Windows Server and XP licenses are current, okay?)

Steve Manes, the cranky columnist at PC World, takes a different view of spam and complains about the slimy stuff clogging up his system tray. First, read his column, "Spam--It's Not Just for In-Boxes Anymore." Then check out WinPatrol, the free program that I think can alleviate some of Steve's problems.

Take a poll: Imagine that someone you don't know sends you an e-mail. Before the e-mail lands in your in-box, your ISP automatically replies and challenges them to prove they're not trying to spam you. The challenge usually requires the sender to head for a Web page, look up a code word, and copy the word into a field on the page. Spam robots can't do it; humans can.

This technique is sometimes called "spam challenge and response blocking." Some people love it; others think it's an enormous inconvenience. Tell me what you think--and help me with a future column on the topic--by taking my 2-minute poll. Thanks.

Step-by-Step Spam Avoidance

At the top of my list is PC World Senior Reporter Tom Spring's relatively new (and undiscovered by many of you) Spam Slayer column. Tom's a great writer and his advice, warnings, and tips are, IMHO, a must read. Among other things, his "2003 Spam Awards" column names the guy behind adult porn, Viagra, and mortgages spam. The tips at the start of the column and the Q&A at the bottom are themselves worth the trip.

Another good piece is "Stop the Spam: How to Filter Out Junk E-Mail," by Stan Miastkowski (a name you should be familiar with as I refer to his advice often). Stan does a good job of explaining how to goose your ISP's spamming capabilities.

Of course, you might not like the spam-blocking program you're using. If that's the case, we have plenty for you to choose from. Some are free, and most are available for free trial. Check our Editor's Roundups for downloads.