More Spam-Fighting Tools Wanted

Even though most e-mail users already rely on antispam tools to keep their in-boxes from being overwhelmed by unsolicited messages, they're still not satisfied, a survey reported Wednesday.

More than 80 percent of 2,200 online users polled know about -- and use -- the "Report Spam" features in their e-mail software or within their Web-based services of choice, said the poll, which was sponsored by the Email Sender and Provider Coalition (ESPC).

But approximately 90 percent would like to see an unsubscription tool in their e-mail applications, while about 80 percent would want a "Report Fraud" button to tag potential phishing messages.

The survey should be discouraging to bulk mailers, whether spammers or legitimate, since it also revealed that 80 percent of users label a message as junk without opening it. Instead, 73 percent base their decision on the From line, while nearly as many, 69 percent rely on the subject.

Overall, users are confident that what ends up in their junk folders is really unwanted mail. More than six out of 10 reported that they rarely or never see messages they've actually requested in their spam folders, while eight out of 10 say that 5 percent or fewer of legitimate mail winds up in there.

"Users have proven that they understand and use the tools they're given and have expressed a desire for more," said Dave Lewis of StrongMail Systems Inc., a member vendor of ESPC. "It's incumbent on senders and ISPs to come together to put more control in consumers' hands."

According to Symantec Corp., the percentage of all e-mail labeled as spam stayed constant last month at around 70 percent, down from an 80 percent spike in mid-January.