Privacy Matters

Spam: It Happens

Looking for someone to blame for that unwanted e-mail cluttering your in-box? Start by checking the mirror. Spammers obtain our e-mail addresses in a variety of enterprising ways, but usually we inadvertently aid and abet them.

You can take a number of steps to eliminate spam from your in-box. Realistically, you can never get rid of it all. But here are some things you can do to cut out most of it.

Get an extra mailbox: Probably the simplest way to avoid all the spam rigmarole is to create a new e-mail address at one of the numerous free online services such as Hotmail or Yahoo Mail. Provide it when sites ask for an e-mail address that they obviously intend to send spam to, and the unwanted messages will go to this second address. If you're expecting to receive a legitimate e-mail message, such as an order confirmation, at that address, don't worry: It will stand out clearly among all the spam headers.

Read the fine print: It pays to scan registration forms carefully. Sites that require you to provide an e-mail address and create a password will note that you'll be getting mail from them, and in some cases from their partners (better known as advertisers), if you don't check (or uncheck) a box on the registration page. Scroll through the whole page before clicking the Submit button. Also read the statement next to the opt-out box, since some require that you check it and others that you uncheck it.

Unsubscribe at your own risk: Almost all the mailing lists you ask to be on will provide a way to unsubscribe at the end of the messages they send you. Usually it's as simple as replying with the word "unsubscribe" or "remove" in the address header. Sometimes you must go to the site, enter your ID and password, and then register your preferences.

But beware of replying to obvious bulk mailers or senders you've never heard of. They may offer you a way to opt out, but following their unsubscribe routine verifies your e-mail address, and you'll wind up with even more spam after they sell it to other spammers.

Use spam filters: Most e-mail programs support some level of filtering. For example, in Microsoft Outlook, you can select Tools, Message Wizard and create a folder for spam. Then when you get an unwanted message, right-click it, select Junk E-mail, Add to Junk Senders. Thereafter, messages from that address will go directly to the spam folder. Similar methods are possible with Outlook Express, Netscape Messenger, and Eudora 4.2.

But many spammers create new addresses with each message. To deal with them, you'll need a filter on steroids like Spam Buster or Spam Killer (both shareware programs). They intercept spam messages and cleverly detect variations in a spammer's address. Both offer a quick way to report the senders to their domain's postmaster.

Fight spammers: Help stop spam at its source with these Web sites dedicated to fighting spam: CAUCE (Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial E-mail), Spam Cop, and JunkBusters.