Page currently under construction.
I have gone ahead and posted it in order to get the "Great Spam Experiment" started. See the bottom of this page for details.
For more on spam see my old How To Report Spam page.
How can I stop all this spam?
The bad news: You can't stop it.
Yea, yea, I know, you bought anti-spam software and it has taken care of the problem. Now you only get 20 spams a day rather than 300. Well, if you look closely in that spam folder, you will find 3 or 4 valid e-mails that you really should have responded to. Spam filters don't work. They get the majority of the spams, but some still leak through. They kill valid messages too; so to do it right, you still have to search through the spams to find the real messages.
The good news: You can do something about it.
The solution is simple: Change your e-mail address. I know, that sounds like so much trouble. All those people you have to notify. But then consider this: Would you rather wade through 300 spams a day, or notify 30 people you have a new address?
The best thing is to stay off the spam lists to begin with, and that is what this page is about.
Here are some basic steps you can take to prevent getting on the lists to begin with.
- Plan on having to change your address about once every year or two.
- Do not post your e-mail address on any website without using some method of hiding the address from spam harvesters. See my JavaScript page for suggestions on hiding your address on websites.
- Set up 2 e-mail addresses, one for your friends and or business accounts, and another for using when you sign up with online chat groups, profiles etc.
- Create a website, or set up a profile on your favorite IM service, like Yahoo or AOL, and post your current address there using one of the suggested methods shown later.
- Begin a list (on the computer or on paper) of people, websites, and businesses you need to notify, and online accounts that need to be updated when you change your address.
- This doesn't have to be dificult. Put a piece of paper next to your computer. Now each time you log into an online account, write down the account name and website it is connected to. After a month or so, you should have all of them listed.
- Don't print your e-mail address on stationery or business cards. Instead, print your website or profile address and tell people to see your site for your current address.
- Be very careful who you give each address to. Don't post your primary address in news groups or guest books; use your alternate address instead.
- When you do change your address, if possible, configure your old address to auto respond with a notice that your address has changed and tell them to check your website for the new address. DO NOT include your new address in the auto-response, the spamers will find that very quickly. Make sure you set the old address to delete incoming messages after responding to keep from filling up your e-mail account.
- To be continued as I get time ......
The Great SPAM Experiment
I have set up a series of e-mail addresses which will be placed on various locations on the net, using various methods of hiding or not hiding the address. Here I will post the results of how much spam I get through each address. Watch for updates.
Data last tabulated 02-29-07
| Address |
Location |
Style Of Posting |
Date
Posted |
Date of
First Spam |
Last
Totaled |
Spam
Total |
Date
Discontinued |
| beqekarijo |
CowboyFrank.net |
mailto tag, no hiding |
01-23-07 |
01/31/07 |
04-29-07 |
97 |
|
| betedewynu |
CowboyFrank.net |
mailto tag, hiding @ & dot using html equi |
01-23-07 |
- |
04-29-07 |
0 |
|
| boxycihuva |
CowboyFrank.net |
JavaScript |
01-23-07 |
- |
04-29-07 |
0 |
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