Spam, Spam, Spam!

Spam, Spam, Spam, and More Spam!

We all hate it. We all get it. Worst of all, spam is on the rise. The term "spam" (meaning unwanted "junk" e-mail) has evolved from a classic Monty Python skit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anwy2MPT5RE

I get asked frequently, Why do spammers do what they do? I am not certain, but I think it is the same reason why some people deface buildings with graffiti, and why shady programmers write computer viruses. There is not much revenue in spamming, after all. People are generally smart not to respond to spam solicitations. A study shows that there's one response for every 12.5 million spam e-mails sent! http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7719281.stm

According to one source, 80 percent of all e-mail received by mail servers around the Internet is spam. It's a growing problem affecting everyone.

On January 1, 2004, a new law in the United States called the CAN-SPAM act, went into force. It allows individuals and companies to sue spammers. Although spammers are very hard to catch, because they hide their identity so well, there are a few cases of successfully nabbing sinister spam-sending swindlers. Recently, a federal judge in California granted the company Facebook $873 million in a lawsuit against a spammer. That's almost a billion dollars! How much they will actually collect is a different story. http://www.crn.com/security/212200253

Another trouble we all face is that our spam filters are far from perfect. They either don't catch enough spam or have far too many false positives - legitimate e-mail getting marked as spam.

How do spammers find your e-mail address? Most of them use programs that scan the Internet for e-mail addresses. For example, if you have your e-mail address listed on your website, or have your e-mail address on a public discussion group, and if a shady spammer detects it, they will record your e-mail address in their spam database. There is a black market, so to speak, of e-mail databases.

How to avoid getting spam:

• Don't put your e-mail address in easy-to-find public places.

• Change your e-mail account occasionally.

• If you do want to post your e-mail address on a web site but don't want spammers to pick it up, use something like dan at danemco dot net instead of dan@danemco.net. This usually foils the spammers from detecting your e-mail account, as these spammers are looking for the '@' symbol (something that resembles an e-mail address).

• If you don't want to give out your e-mail address but an online form requires it, you can use a free "disposable" e-mail service, such as http://mailinator.com or http://mailexpire.com. This is useful for when signing up for free services that require you to surrender your e-mail address.

Many of us may want to send a mass-email to our contact list at one time. It's important that our messages get delivered properly to the recipients' inbox and not get caught in a spam box. Here are some tips to avoid looking like a spammer to most spam filters:

• Put your full address at the bottom of the e-mail

• State that the purpose of the e-mail. For example, if this is a bulk e-mail message (an e-mail sent to lots of people at the same time), use wording like "This is an advertisement or solicitation. You received this message because you are subscribed to the ABC Shop's newsletter."

• Place an unsubscribe link or instructions on how people can unsubscribe at the bottom of your e-mail.

• Keep the content of your e-mail messages free from common spam messages (such as Viagra, dieting, body part enhancements, etc.).

There are many great spam filters out there. The method of how it detects and protects you from spam varies. I personally use Postini, a service that watches my inbox. Many e-mail clients, such as Mozilla Thunderbird, come with built-in spam protection. Ask your Internet Service Provider for more information about their spam filtering offerings.