Tips To Avoiding
Spam
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
We often get asked the question about how to get rid of the junk email. And the fact is, that the best way is to avoid it from the beginning. Once you get onto a commercially sold email list, you will end up with an ever increasing amount of junk mail in your inbox. This email is called SPAM.
A Twelve-Step Program:
1. Treat your email address like gold. Protect it, and don't give it out online.
2. For those occasions when you really need to provide your email address online (such as online newsletters) create a free web-based email account such as yahoo.com.
3. Don't hit the "unsubscribe" links. Contrary to the promise of deleting you from their list ? this will only lead to an increase. Now they know you are a live person who reads their email.
4. Ignore email from those free web-based accounts. They often look like a combination of numbers and letters @hotmail.com or @yahoo.com etc. Strike up a friendly relationship with your delete key, and use it often.
5. Use that FREE account for the jokes. Remember that you are part of a list of email addresses, and when the joke gets forwarded (and forwarded and forwarded) many people don't delete all those old addresses. And voila! Someone can pick up yours weeks or months down the road.
6. When you do send a mass email (or broadcast) use the BCC option. This is Blind Carbon Copy, and when used, no one can see the list of recipients. (Put yourself as the first recipient in the TO box, and everyone else in the BCC.)
7. Don't do bulk search engine submissions. These are online services that will submit your site free to 15, 25, or more search engines. Really all they are after is your email address, and chances to advertise their services. (Refer to step two and get a free account).
8. Don't post your personal address on your web site. Use a generic info@ or service@ so that you can change it if it becomes a problem. There are www robots that roam around web sites looking for addresses on web sites and forums. They easily pluck it off the HTML on your site. Your ISP can provide you with additional accounts.
9. Don't visit the web site they are
promoting. Go as far as "not even opening" the email? Don't
let your curiosity get the better of you. Chances are there are clues
in the subject field or even the return address. Typically there is mis-use
of capitalization, and often your first name is in the subject field.
And never OPEN an attachment that you aren't expecting or looks unusual.
10. Use an ISP that has some server-level
protection. There are filters that can be used at the server level
that block out known abusers. Though this doesn't eliminate, it can reduce
the amount of SPAM.
11. Avoid the email hoaxes. Most
of the urgent warnings out there in email are hoaxes. Like SPAM, they
increase the burden on email servers. Examples include everything from
Microsoft giving away money, Mall Parking Lot Knock Out Perfume,
to False Virus Warnings. For more info you can search for
email hoaxes on the www or visit http://www.3oddballz.com/hoaxes/
12. The final step is to treat your email address like gold. Oh have we said that yet? Remember how awkward it is to change your email address, which may even include reprinting stationery and contacting hundreds of people who have been reaching you at that old address.
Do you have more tips? Please email them to info@vividelements.com
