- WHAT IS SPAM?
Spam is electronic junk mail or junk newsgroup postings. Some people define spam even more generally as any unsolicited e-mail. However, if a long-lost brother finds your e-mail address and sends you a message, this could hardly be called spam, even though it's unsolicited. Real spam is generally e-mail advertising for some product sent to a mailing list or newsgroup
In addition to wasting people's time with unwanted e-mail, spam also eats up a lot of network bandwidth. Consequently, there are many organizations, as well as individuals, who have taken it upon themselves to fight spam with a variety of techniques. But because the internet is public, there is really little that can be done to prevent spam, just as it is impossible to prevent junk mail. However, some service providers, have instituted policies to prevent spammers from spamming their subscribers.
There is some debate about the source of the term, but the generally accepted version is that it comes from the Monty Python song, "Spam spam spam spam, spam spam spam spam, lovely spam, wonderful spam" Like the song, spam is an endless repetition of worthless text. Another school of thought maintains that it comes from the computer group lab at the University of Southern California who gave it the name because it has many of the same characteristics as the lunchmeat Spam:
- Nobody wants it or ever asks for it.
- No one ever eats it; it is the first item to be pushed to the side when eating the entree.
- Sometimes it is actually tasty, like 1% of junk mail that is really useful to some people.
Whatever its derivation, it's a plague on anyone who seriously gets involved with the internet and nobody wants his computer infested with the spammers vile and puerile crap. (Steady Buddy - steady.) Information is limitless on the subject. I even get spam-mail on how to eliminate spam (go figure). Well, here are a few FAQ tid-bits on how to handle the bugger named Spam.
- BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU REGISTER
Q: I've read about sites where you can register yourself as a "no spam" address. Supposedly spammers run their bulk mailings through these databases and remove the addresses that have requested no spam. Are these legit, and how can we know that these sites will not misuse the addresses they receive?
A: You can't be sure, and I recommend that you NOT use them. Some of these sites are merely collection points run by spammers to obtain valid e-mail addresses. It's quite likely that registering at these sites is the cyber-equivalent of hanging a "Kick me" sign on your own back, and will actually increase your spam level. Even if they are run by well-meaning people, most spammers wouldn't use them.
- REMOVE ME = SPAM ME
Q: I faithfully send in REMOVE requests whenever I get unsolicited e-mail. But I'm still getting spam - more than ever. What's up?
A: If you send REMOVE requests this tells the spammers two things: (1) your e-mail address is valid; and (2) you read the e-mail you receive. Thus, you are a perfect target for more spam. This is why I recommend that people DO NOT send REMOVE requests.
- NOT SUCH A DEAL
Q: What about those services that claim they work with the major spam factories, and offer to remove your name from all spam lists for $25?
A: They claim to work with the major spammers, but the major spammers DON'T WANT to remove people from their lists. Even if they are not crooks, it's likely that they have little or no power to deliver on their promises. And they can't do anything to stop the army of small-time spammers with lists of their own.
- ISN'T SPAMMING ILLEGAL?
Q: How can these companies get away with selling bulk e-mail software that makes it easy for people to spam the Net? Isn't spamming illegal, by extension of the "junk fax" laws in the USA?
A: Spamming is obnoxious, but not illegal. There are several pieces of anti-spam legislation being considered in the USA, one of which would extend the "junk fax law" to cover e-mail spam, but it's been under discussion by lawmakers since 1997. And any law passed by the US Congress would have no power outside the USA. For an update on HR 3113, an anti-spam bill being considered by the US House of Representatives, look here:
http://www.cauce.org/pres sreleases/pr-hr3113.shtml - SPITTING IN THE WIND
Q: I have a program called Spam Hater, which sends nastygrams to spammers and their service providers, but most of the messages it generates bounce right back to me. Why?
A: Spammers typically forge the headers in their e-mail so the true sending address cannot be determined. Spam Hater will only be effective against newbie spammers who don't know how to cover their tracks. Another problem is that when you DO get through to a real person, it's often the spammer himself, since many have their own domain names.
If you're more technical, or mad enough to learn the details of Internet mail headers, there are some tools and techniques that can help you find a spammer's service provider and register a complaint. Look here for more information on that:
http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc2076.htmlhttp://samspade.org
http://www.abuse.net
http://www.orbs.org - LOW TECH, BUT IT WORKS
Q: Okay, so no-spam registries, remove requests and anti-spam software are all useless. The spammers are running wild and there are no laws on the horizon to stop them. What *can* I do?
A: Press the Delete key, and get on with your life. Really. I get more spam than most people (dozens every day) and this is the best advice I can offer. Depressing, ain't it?
Other smart moves to keep your email address out of the hands of spammers include:
Don't post your email address on your website. Some spammers use harvesting programs to find addresses.
Don't post to forums, chat rooms, mailing lists or newsgroups with your primary address. Use an alternate address provided by your ISP or get an account at Hotmail or one of the other free web-based email services. Only give out your primary address to trusted people or sites with a clear email privacy policy.
- WHAT ABOUT SPAM FILTERS?
Some people prefer to install spam filters in their e-mail program. These work to varying degrees, but my concern is that over-zealous filters might zap some non-spam emails. Some Internet Service providers are filtering email at the server level, which makes me even more nervous.
When using the filter in your e-mail program, be careful about using context to spark the filter; that same context might also come up in what you'd consider accepted mail. What I do is use the sender's address (From) to spark the filter. Again, the problem is that these buggers have a way of changing that address as easily as a chameleon changes colors.
http://www.junkbusters.com/h t/en/links.html#filterThe JunkBusters site is a great resource on dealing with spam and other forms of junk, both online and offline. It's even available in 15 languages.
Another interesting site is the SPAM RECYCLING CENTER, where you can learn how to forward your spam to the appropriate authorities, get a free anti-spam filter from Brightmail or MailCircuit, and check out the Omaha Steaks "Turn Your Spam into Steak" program, which offers Spam Recycling Center participants discounts and freebies.
http://www.chooseyourmail.co m/spamindex.cfmI've been informed that if you use AOL, you're at the mercy of their Mail Controls, which can filter certain spammer domains, but still misses quite a bit. I'm told their spam problem (as of April, 2000) is quite serious.
- SPAMMERS IN NEWSGROUPS
If you spend any time in newsgroups, you'll soon see that even the best of them has some junk postings. Spam knows no boundaries.
Whatever you do with these usually useless messages, don't post a message saying that the message or poster is inappropriate. The poster already knows what they're doing and doesn't care. The first message wasted enough of everyone's time: Your response will just waste more.
In this instance, your silence is golden.
Spam is about numbers. The U.S. Small Business Administration estimates that the United States has approximately 25 million businesses. If only 1 percent of those 25 million decides to send you just one single unsolicited e-mail per year, you average 685 spams per day in your inbox. If it takes an average of 10 seconds per message to open a message, determine that it is spam, and hit Delete, you spend two hours per day disposing of e-mail you never asked to receive.
Be aware that "list brokers" and sometimes individual spammers use a variety of tools and techniques to grab e-mail addresses wherever they may appear online. Therefore avoid the following practices:
And finally, thanks to a suggestion from Eileen Weinblatt, one of the leading United States authorities on the various methods of reducing spam, you might want to register your email address at www.e-mps.org. It is a free service for consumers, designed to cut down on the amount of unsolicited commercial e-mail consumers receive in their e-mail in-boxes. This service is sponsored by The Direct Marketing Association, the service allows consumers to indicate that they wish to reduce the amount of unsolicited commercial e-mail they receive.
... THE STORY OF SPAM ...