Every one of us knows how spam impacts us. Every day we either get a ton of spam - or if we’re fairly well protected by spam filters - only a few pieces.

Like a large number of people, I don’t use any spam filters. Ah. You think I’m insane. But wait. My problem is that I get a lot of email from marketing types which I want to receive. And the spam filtering software is not very sensitive to my needs. Even white-listing doesn’t always work. So, I prefer to get all that spam and just delete it.

Now this solution can work for me despite the time it takes to delete my daily overdose of spam. However, at the enterprise level, it’s a whole different story. If you have a relatively large internal network with even a modest number of email users, you’re looking at a major problem. And the more users you have, the worse the problem is.

Sure, you can put up software on the mail server. Works, kind of. But pretty soon you may find you need to upgrade the mail server. And that’s after you already put it on a stand-alone machine.

Rather than continuing to buy ever more expensive software to run on a machine that keeps needing to be upgraded, you might want to think about a dedicated anti spam appliance.

To give you some idea of what’s possible let’s take a look at Barracuda Networks dedicated anti spam appliance. All you need to do is put this baby in front of your mail server. I say baby, advisedly because this one will learn by doing and by training provided by your users.

Dean Drako, CEO of Barracuda Networks said, "Bayesian filtering is still one of the most accurate defenses against spam. The new plug-ins allow users to directly train the Bayesian filter, making the Barracuda Spam Firewall even more accurate based on the users individual email preferences. Viruses and other threats can infect the network quickly if they are not stopped at the network edge. With Intent Analysis our customers have an advantage over these threats because the Barracuda Spam Firewall is able to block them real time. Consequently we have consistently been a first responder when some of the most malicious virus attacks have hit, saving our customers from potentially devastating damage to their networks."

This is one beautiful little machine. A Barracuda Spam Firewall can support from 1,000 to 30,000 active users. It can usually be installed in less than five minutes and receives automatic hourly updates for new forms of spam and viruses. It has a 10 layer defense system beyond the use of open source anti spam and anti virus solutions: denial of service and security protection, IP block list, rate control, virus check with archive decompression, proprietary virus check, user specified rules, spam fingerprint check, Intent Analysis, spam rule-based scoring, and Bayesian analysis. Plus it also does both inbound and outbound email filtering with the inclusion of sophisticated outbound email filtering techniques (just in case you’ve got a spam zombie on board or somebody’s got an infected PC).

However, it isn’t exactly cheap. Still, when you consider the time, bandwidth, user frustration and potential hardware upgrade costs, the price may look a lot more reasonable. You can check it out at http://www.barracudanetworks.com/

If you are in the market for an anti-spam appliance, the Barracuda Spam Firewall isn’t your only choice. The impact of spam on internet businesses - even those who primarily use it for just email - is so great that a simple search for "anti spam appliance" will find you a number of alternatives to examine. Even McAfee is getting into the anti spam hardware game.

I’m hoping that it won’t be too long before I can pick up a Bayesian multi-level anti spam, anti virus firewall appliance for my home PC that keeps me safe and cuts my need to delete without deep-sixing the email I want or costing me more than I can afford. I suspect it’s on the way.

Copyright 2005 Richard Keir

Richard writes in a variety of areas involving eBusiness and the internet. For more on spam visit http://anti-spam.werkz.org and for general eCommerce go to http://building-ecommerce-websites.com

The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 was supposed to eliminate spam email. This federal spam law that became effective January 1, 2004, was passed by Congress to get rid of junk email.

So why didn’t the law eliminate spam and why is it so difficult to stop it? Still today, more than 40% of all e-mail is still unsolicited sent to you by spammers even though that law passed.

The truth is email spammers make so much money they can afford to outsmart The Federal Trade Commission with sophisticated technology.

It is almost impossible to enforce this law although a few do get caught and pay the huge price.

Spam is not likely to go away anytime soon, and it’s difficult to eliminate spam email altogether. But there are some simple ways to significantly reduce spam from getting into your inbox.

Here are Four Fighting Spam Tips:

Protect Your Email Address

Don’t display your email address in newsgroup postings, chat rooms or in an online service’s membership directory. Sometimes email spammers use these sources to harvest email addresses.

Create Two Email Addresses

Another good tip is create two email addresses. Create one for personal messages and the other for public use, such as in newsgroups or chat rooms.

You can create an account with a disposable email address service. Have those emails forwarded to your permanent email address. If the disposable address begins to get spam, just shut if off and get another one.

Create A Unique Email Address

Create a unique email address because email spammers often use dictionary attacks to sort through possible name combinations at some Internet Service Providers. A common name, like johnsmith or thewilliams may get more spam than a unique name like 37xi6OWt8.

Use Email Tools

Most email accounts provide tools to filter out potential spam or ways to channel spam into a bulk email folder. When you’re choosing which Internet Service Provider to use consider their email options.

Although these simple methods might seem obvious, most people do not utilize them. You may be surprised how much junk email you can get rid of just by using these simple tips.

If you decide to eliminate spam altogether all it takes is installing an anti spam filter. Most are reasonably priced between $25 and $40 depending on where you get it. A good anti spam filter will block 100% of unwanted spam and will eliminate spam forever.

Copyright © 2005 Spyware Information.com All Rights Reserved.

This article is provided by http://www.spyware-information.com where you will find free spyware cleaners, downloads, removal software, computer firewalls and valuable tips. For regularly updated articles about adware, spyware and protection from identity theft go to http://spyware-information.com/articles_1.html

Unsolicited Commercial Email (UCE), or spam has reached epidemic proportions, and continues to grow. According to American Online, of the estimated 30 million email messages each day, about 30% on average was unsolicited commercial email. As a result of its very low marginal costs, spam has become extremely prolific. Regardless of how many emails are sent out, the spammers’ costs are low, and constant. With numbers like these, there is a tremendous burden shifted to the Internet Service Provider (ISP) to process and store that amount of data. Huge volumes of this junk may undoubtedly contribute to many of the access, speed, and reliability problems suffered by many ISPs. Further, many large ISPs have experienced major system outages as the result of massive junk email campaigns. Spam is an issue about consent, not content. Regardless of whether the UCE message is an advertisement, porn, or a winning lottery notice, the content is irrelevant. If the message was sent unsolicited, and in bulk then the message is spam.

This junk e-mail is more than just annoying; it costs Internet users, and Internet-based businesses millions, even billions, per year. When a spammer sends an email message to a million people, it is carried by numerous electronic systems on route to its destination. The systems in between are bearing the burden of carrying advertisements, and other unsolicited junk for the spammer. The number of spams sent out each day is truly overwhelming, and each one must be handled efficiently, and expeditiously by many systems. There is no justification for forcing third parties to bear the load of unsolicited advertising. Ultimately, these costs are passed on to YOU, the consumer.

Spam originates in one of two ways, it is sent directly by the spammer from and under their control, or via illegal third party exploitation such as open proxies or open relays. Spammers get your address in a variety of ways. If you sign up for, and provide your email address, these seemingly friendly sites can turn around and sell your email to advertisers. Additionally, if you have your email address on a Web page, it is easy for unscrupulous advertisers to "harvest" it, and add you to their lists.

There are ways to reduce the number of spam messages, however it is presently impossible to stop them all. Spam filters, are software applications that redirect emails based on the presence of certain common phrases, or words. These automated measures are prone to being defeated by clever spammers. Additionally, there is a risk of important emails being deleted as spam. In 2003, Congress passed a sweeping law, CAN-SPAM act of 2003, which basically prohibits the use of deceptive subject lines and false headers in all emails. Additionally, the FTC is authorized (but not required) to establish a do-not-email registry. The CAN-SPAM Act took effect on January 1, 2004.

Spam is based on theft of service; it wastes time, money, and other resources. Spam can and will overwhelm your electronic mail box if it isn’t fought. Over time, unless the growth of spam isn’t stopped, it will destroy the usefulness and effectiveness of email as a communication tool.

Jay B Stockman is a contributing editor for Spam Blocker Software Solutions Visit http://spam-blockeronline.com/ for more information.

Executive Summary

Unsolicited commercial email, also commonly known as spam, has developed a negative reputation because it is at best a waste of valuable time and at worst an offensive intrusion into one’s desktop. It is estimated that 56% of all mail that passes through the Internet is spam which is an increase of 40% from one year ago today. In addition, it is estimated that spam costs an average of $874 per employee per year, with a loss of approximately 1.4% of productivity due to managing spam on the desktop.

Introduction

Internet email is an electronic system through which messages are transferred between systems on behalf of their users. It is a trusting system in that the mail server will deliver a message to the receipt that it is addressed to. This level of trust becomes a problem when anyone in the world can send an email to anyone. Individuals and organizations that send unsolicited email (spammers) are taking advantage of this trusting system.

Currently, there is very little that can be done to prevent spammers from creating and sending emails. At this time, the only effective remedy to this nuisance is implementing a filtering system to aid in the management of spam.

Determining the Nature of Spam

It is fairly obvious to a person who is reading an advertisement for Viagra that the message is spam. However, to a computer the email is just strings of numbers, letters, and symbols. This is the first challenge in the process of managing spam: how to get a computer to analyze these strings to recognize and differentiate the welcome from the unwelcome emails.

The simplest method for avoiding spam is to only accept mail from authenticated senders. This is easy to implement but would result in the receipt of almost no email from outside organizations. This is due to the trusting nature of the email system which treats every incoming connection as a valid connection. Building a “white list” of known peer servers from trusted organizations (i.e., business partners and clients) is, unfortunately, impossible to maintain for a large organization.

One method for determining whether or not an incoming message is spam is by testing the sending server for full compliance with RFC 2821 and correct DNS setups. RFC 2821 is the specification used to describe how messages are to be sent between SMTP mail servers, and the correct DNS setups have to occur with the cooperation of the ISP who owns the IP address assigned to the mail server. This method of testing for compliance with the RFC’s and collaboration with the sender’s ISP allows the receiving server to block the incoming connection once it has determined that the sending server is probably not a mainstream server. This system works because, traditionally, many spammers have built very basic bulk emailing engines, and many of these engines are so poorly constructed that they are barely capable of sending mail at all. The downside to this method is that there is a high likelihood of a false positive when interacting with some open source or low-cost email servers.

Freeware code or low cost systems are commonly used by small organizations for budgetary reasons. Another issue with this method is that many spammers send their mail through valid mail servers that have been inadvertently left available to act as relays (mail forwarders), and the relay servers will pass all of these initial configuration tests.

Another common manner of avoiding mail classified as spam is to identify the sending server as it attempts to send mail by using a third party mechanism called a Blacklist server. These servers, such as the Open Relay DataBase or SpamCop, offer a free service by holding databases of identified addresses of numerous spammers and open relays. When a mail server attempts to send mail, a simple query of one or more of these services is typically sufficient to reduce the volume of spam by 25%. However, these services are not perfect and can result in false positives or negatives due to either overly aggressive databases or latency in reporting. For instance, one of the most reliable databases of server addresses, ORDB.org, only tests to see if the server is misconfigured as an open relay. If a spammer sends mail from a properly configured server or from one that has not yet been reported, then the mail will pass this test. In addition, many companies have had difficulty getting their valid servers out of these databases, which causes an issue with irresolvable false positives.

A third way for determining spam is through the use of content filtering. This method involves the filtering of mail by matching it against a list of words or phrases. This list of words and phrases is maintained on the server either by the local system administrator or through a subscription service. Although this method was popular several years ago, spammers have become adept in avoiding these filtering engines by masking their content with misspellings. In order to keep the list accurate and up to date, the system administrator or keyword service must continually increase the size of the list. This particular method tends to be fraught with false positives and false negatives. For example, one mail user might actually be using Viagra that would result in a false positive, and V1agr@ is still Viagra that would result in a false negative. This filtering method is considered by most as ineffective at filtering out anything but the most offensive email.

A final method of filtering spam is Bayesian filtering which is a very successful variation of keyword filtering. This method differs from traditional filters as it utilizes a statistical method for filtering messages based on the content of the message and the end user trains the system by providing feedback on what is and is not spam. Based on this feedback the filter builds an index of all of the words and phrases, including misspellings, which tend to occur in messages indicated as spam. The main reason this system operates better than conventional keyword filtering is that it is able to filter a message that misspells the primary keyword phrases or words. Essentially, if the spammer misspells everything in the message, then it cannot get through. The only significant drawback to this system is that there is a delay in implementation due to the need of training the system, and there is an ongoing need for the end users to inform the system of false positives and false negatives. The advantage of this system is the frequency of the required feedback declines over time. Also, the system reacts quickly to spammers new techniques because it is constantly learning based on feedback from the users.

Handling Spam

Once a message has been identified as spam, the recipient must determine how the message will be handled. One approach is to refuse to accept the message once it has been identified, or to delete the message before it is delivered to the end user. This method, although a common method for implementing controls on a mail server, carries the risk of deleting a valid message that has been improperly identified as spam.

An alternative way of managing spam is to clearly identify the message as such. This involves inserting an identifier of some sort into the header or subject line of the message that identifies it as spam. For instance, a spam filter can be configured to insert the word [SPAM] into the subject line so that the recipient can see the message and manage it appropriately. Once the message is identified, it is simple enough to set up a rule or filter on the mail client that will automatically sort the message into a folder marked “spam”. The end user can periodically review the messages in this folder to identify any false positives.

Implementing a Filtering System

Building a method for determining whether or not a message is spam is not sufficient, and until there is a major revision to SMTP, one that is less trusting, a mechanism needs to be built to somehow filter the spam out of incoming mail.

The simplest manner to accomplish this is by purchasing a spam-filtering appliance. This mechanism would be installed in front of the organization’s current mail server and would serve as a relay that would filter out spam as it passes through the server. Although this “black box” system is easy to implement, there are a few issues that might prompt a system administrator to look elsewhere for an alternative solution. The first notable issue is that these systems typically require some sort of subscription service to maintain functionality. Second, the level of control or optimization available is minimal and limited to the features or options planned and implemented in the appliance’s system. Aside from its ease of installation, this approach allows for very little change or adjustment to the systems that are already in place.

Another approach similar to the appliance method would be to implement filtering software in front of the mail server. Once the software is selected it can be installed on a mail server or on the same system as the organization’s existing server. The software acts as a relay server, forwarding and filtering messages into the existing mail server. Since this is a software-only solution, there are a few advantages over the appliance solution. One significant benefit is that there are a wide variety of software solutions offered. Another advantage is that this mechanism can often be installed directly on the mail server itself, avoiding the cost of maintaining another system. This system has the same disadvantage as the mail filtering appliance in that it is another system for the administrator to maintain.

Many of the more robust mail server systems implement some sort of spam control mechanism directly, as part of their receipt and delivery function. This is very easy to use and implement, but is dependent on how well the filtering mechanism was implemented in the mail server’s system and which method might be available. The advantage to this is tight integration with the mail server. For instance, if a mail server receives a message that is deemed spam, it may automatically reply with a message stating that the “user does not exist”. This may help to decrease the likelihood of the spammer sending additional messages to the address, but other systems that relay messages might not be able to provide this level of filtering.

Another approach for implanting a filtering system is spam control software being installed as a component of the mail client itself. Using this mechanism is simple and inexpensive to implement, but works differently than some of the server-based controls. For instance, some of these software controls simply key in on the sender’s email address and mark anything from an unknown sender as spam. In addition, many of these systems require a subscription to maintain keyword lists, as Bayesian statistical techniques are not effective for a single user’s small volume of mail messages.

An alternative option would be to outsource the entire filtering mechanism to an outside organization that specializes in mail hosting and filtering. This is a cost-effective approach, because it is often much less expensive compared to the purchase and implementation of a software filtering system on-site. In addition, outsourcing the function makes change very easy; if a third party provider does not provide sufficient or accurate filtering, then the provider can quickly be changed. This level of freedom is not available when a solution is purchased for local installation.

End User Training

It is important to train end users on how to handle spam when it comes into their mailbox. A few simple rules can be sufficient to help to reduce the ongoing impact of spam:

1. Regardless of the circumstances, a user should never respond to spam. Responding to the message tells the spammer that the email address is valid and makes the address worth more than it did before. In fact, one is more likely receive more spam after responding to try to get off the spammer’s list.

2. Avoid viewing or previewing spam. There are telltale markers embedded in HTML-based spam that helps to identify that the message was actually read.

3. Don’t forward spam to a colleague, especially if utilizing a Bayesian filtering system, as this will lend validity to the content of the message.

4. Be judicious in how an email address is handed. Filling out every form on the Internet with a personal or business email address is bound to result in the receipt of more spam messages.

5. Take email addresses off from a personal or business website and replace them with forms that send email in the background from the web server via cgi. There are automated programs that simply scour the web for email addresses that might be embedded in web pages.

About ITX Spam Filtering

ITX offers a hosted anti-spam solution that provides a blended method of identifying and handling spam. Acting as an SMTP relay for incoming mail, ITX’s mail server starts with an identification of the sender by IP address and submitting for reference to a blacklist database from ORDB.org. Next, the content is checked for relevancy in a fully trained Bayesian database. These factors are combined to determine, with 99% accuracy, whether or not the message is truly spam. Messages identified as spam will be marked as such in the subject line, checked for virus signatures, and forwarded on to its final destination. Unlike most providers, ITX has a strict policy of never deleting or refusing mail that is earmarked to a client.

This conservative, blended approach has proved to be a stable and reliable solution that has been extensively tested in a production environment. Anti-spam filtering is available to both ITX mail hosting clients, along with POP3/SMTP services, and to Spam filtering clients as a relay mechanism.

About ITX

ITX is a business consulting and technology solutions firm committed to consistently providing superior products and services in nine practice areas including Business Performance, IT Solution Strategies and Implementation, Internet Marketing, Technical Services, IT Staffing, Internet Services, and Technology Research.

It is through the total commitment to process and quality that ITX combines the highest level of resources and expertise to ensure our clients operate effectively and efficiently. ITX’s ability to leverage the proper mix of skills results in providing high quality technology services and solutions both quickly and at a competitive cost. ITX clients return again and again for scalable products and services that perform reliably and assure a significant return on investment.

About Jonathan Coupal

Jonathan Coupal is the Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of ITX Corp, a business consulting and technology solutions firm based in Rochester, New York. Mr. Coupal manages both the day-to-day and strategic operations of the Technology Integration Practice Group. Among Mr. Coupal’s greatest strengths are evaluating customers’ unique problems, developing innovative, cost effective solutions and providing a “best practice” implementation methodology. Mr. Coupal’s extensive knowledge and experience enables him to fully analyze client systems to recommend the most effective technologies and solutions that will both optimize their business processes and fulfill immediate and future goals. Mr. Coupal and his team build a high level of trust with clients, establishing ITX as their IT partner of choice. Mr. Coupal holds certifications with Microsoft and CompTia, including MCSE, MCSA, Security+, Linux+ and i-Net+, and served as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the development of the CompTia Linux+.

Some people actually like spicy meat in a can. But nobody likes email spam. That’s why anti-spam filters are a good thing. Most email programs come with built-in filters. Add-on filters are also available that function as email proxies. The spam filter lives on your computer like a local email server, acting as a proxy between your ISP’s mail server and your email client, such as Eudora or Outlook. Once it’s installed, the add-on filter checks your mail, filters out all the spam it can identify, and then sorts or deletes it according to your preferences.

Spam Filters for Windows Users

Add-on spam filters, like other software, are designed to operate with specific configurations. Windows users will find the widest selection and easiest access to programs. You can search and download a program that’s compatible with any version of Windows on the vendor’s websites.

For users with POP3 or IMAP accounts or folks who use other email services such as AOL, Yahoo!, or Hotmail, an add-on spam program for Windows might still work. Many of these accounts can be filtered via your Outlook or Outlook Express applications and are therefore compatible with Windows software.

In fact, some of the newer filters offer plug-ins that filter messages on your handheld email device. Anti-spam on the go!

Spam Filters for Mac and Other Users

A quick web search should result in several anti-spam options for Mac users. Most are compatible with Mail or Eudora email clients. Some Mac-friendly filters are even capable of filtering mail in POP3, IMAP, and Exchange accounts.

For users employing other operating systems, such as a Linux box, add-on anti-spam options do exist. Try searching the Mac compatible programs to find versatile software.

Spam Filters for the Computer Challenged

If downloading software and following an endless series of setup box instructions isn’t your favorite way to spend the afternoon, fear not. Spam filters maintained at an offsite server could work for you.

If you have very little memory left on your hard drive or you just don’t like configuring software, try one of the subscription services available online. For a small monthly fee, your messages will be routed through their filters before arriving in your inbox relatively spam-free.

A Life Without Spam

Most users find that adding on an anti-spam program is well worth the small cost and minimal time investment. To choose the right software for your computer, be sure you know your system requirements and make a list of the features that are important to you. You could be headed for a spam-free future.

Amy Durham is a full-time freelance writer specializing in business, IT, home decorating, gardening, and inspirational writing. Her work has appeared in Facility Manager, InStore, The Source, First Home, D Magazine, Texas Family Magazine, and several online publications. As an expert author, she ghostwrites original articles for website content, newsletters, blogs, and e-zines. She is also the author of an online inspirational course for writers and several e-books. Please visit her website http://www.MooJuiceMedia.com.

Spam is a term used to describe the sending unsolicited messages indiscriminately in bulk by means of electronic media. E-mail is the usual vehicle for Spam often advertising products like cheap prescription drugs and discounted computer software.

Confidence tricks have also found as new lease of life through e-mail. I think many of us know of the email from a government official, usually from Nigeria asking to use your bank account to move money and promising a big cut.

The first traces of unsolicited e-mail date back to 1978 and the term itself has its roots from a Monty Python sketch on TV. In the sketch set in a café’s, every item on the menu comes with Spam Luncheon meat. When a customer asks for something without spam, the waiter merely reiterates the Spam filled menu. So now you know. They even made a song about it.

Even though there has been media coverage of the problems with spam, there is little legal recourse to stop spammers targeting you. So what do you do?

Never ever respond to a spam e-mail:

Spam e-mail may often contain a link along the lines of "click here if you don’t want to receive these e-mails in the future". Rather than removing you from the list it confirms to the spammer that your address is valid and that there is someone reading the messages. Once a spammer knows this it makes your address valuable if they sell it on, and will result in you getting even more spam e-mails.

Never publicise your e-mail address:

By only giving out your address to trusted family and friends you can keep email address safe. This will make it harder for spammers to get hold of it. If your are posting to forums or the like, never use your real address. Many spammers use programs that trawl through web pages harvesting all of the e-mail addresses that they find. If you have to enter an e-mail address when posting on a discussion forum, disguise it. For example, remove the @ symbol, instead spelling the address out as your name (at) your domain com.

Set up a new public e-mail address:

When signing up for online services or forums create a new public email address to use. There are many companies that provide free web mail addresses. By using your public email address when signing up for services online, any spammers that capture the address will send email here and not to your private address. You only need to check the account when you are expecting something, for example a confirmation email from a website, and the rest of the time it can safely be ignored.

Report Spam Abusers:

Spammers are using very sophisticated techniques to hide their true identities, which makes it very difficult to hold them to account for their behaviour. One thing that you can do is report them to the ISP where the message originated from (be careful this may not be the same as the domain the spam purports to be from) Hopefully , the ISP will close the spammers account, or take action to secure their systems against future abuse. Spam cop provide a handy service on their website to help you report spam emails to their originating ISP.

Block images being displayed in HTML messages:

Very often spammers will send HTML email messages with images embedded into the text. These images are called web beacons and are not actually sent with the email, but are linked from a website. When your email program tries to display the message, it goes to the web server hosting the image and requests that it is sent. The spammer use this request to confirm that you r email is valid and is being read this makes it much more valuable to them. Many email programs have a facility to prevent images from being displayed unless you specifically request to see them.

One final piece of advice is use the filtering tools provided by your email program to set up black and white lists. On the black lists you put known spam addresses and have them sent to a specific folder, such as Junk, the white takes addresses from your address book as those you would like to receive mail from.

Nothing is ever fool proof against spammers but following the rules above considerably reduces your vulnerability to spam.

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Copyright Mike Morris 2005

SPAM! You hear about it all the time. But what exactly is it?

SPAM is ANY unsolicited or unwanted message received via email. It is untargeted, and sent to people who have expressed no interest in receiving info on your product or service.

When a SPAM complaint is filed, it is up to the ISP and web-hosting companies to determine what is and is not, SPAM. Often providers terminate website or dial up access based on just one complaint. Providers must strictly enforce their terms or they will face action by their upstream providers.

Normally, the email addresses that make up SPAM mailing lists are picked at random. A good example of this are the CD’s you see advertised with millions of email addresses. Do NOT buy these. These are emails harvested off the internet and you will be spamming these people.

Sometimes people new to the internet believe that since email is free, they should blast out their ads to as many people as possible. After all, the more mail that goes out, the better the chances of getting a sale.

The reality is very different. People sending out millions of email this way usually get only a few orders, if any. More importantly, they get many recipients upset by sending out this unwelcome message. Normally the offender’s ISP will immediately shut him down, usually without asking questions first.

The best way to protect yourself is to be very careful of who you send your email to. You also need to be aware of what your follow up messages to people should contain. They MUST have:

Valid "from" address

Valid "reply to" address

Valid sender information including the name of the company or individual that sent the message

Valid removal instructions to instantly remove any individual upon request. This is VERY important!

If all these are present, and the mail is sent with the prior permission from the recipient, then the mail being sent in not SPAM.

Of course in the real world, things aren’t always so cut and dry.

For instance, what if it’s a one time mailing. You would have no need to put removal instructions, right? Wrong. This would be considered SPAM.

How about if you visit a person’s website and you mail them individually saying, "I visited your website and see you might be in need of my service". This too, is considered SPAM.

Remember, be smart when you contact people!

You will probably never be able to totally protect yourself from SPAM complaints. Just take precautions in sending email and have procedures in place to deal with SPAM complaints. Once an abuse is reported, you can be certain that your host, internet provider, and others have received the same complaint. If you have a website, you should make sure your abuse@yourdomainname.com is working.

When a complaint is received, reply to the letter and include all addresses that also received the original complaint. Address the individual by their name, and provide a copy of the original request with date and other supporting information.

Tell the user that you have processed their removal instructions, and that the letter was requested and not SPAM. Be brief. Also, make sure you reference the URL where you post your terms of service and the URL where the user agreed to receive your mail.

Be sure you send the letter to all of the addresses listed in the original complaint immediately. Some providers will shut down a site as soon as a complaint is received so make sure you act fast.

To run an effective email campaign, be sure you send your mail to targeted prospects and avoid spamming internet users. Correct email marketing can produce amazing results and increase your bottom line dramatically, while SPAM will only lead to problems.

By: Anne Ahira
Editor The BEST Affiliate Newsletter
http://www.thebestaffiliate.com

The time you devote each day to sort and delete spam from your inbox could be put to much better use. In the European Union alone, the working hours employees are spending on sorting and deleting spam is costing the companies and estimated 10 billion euros every year! By manually sorting out spam after it has reached your inbox you are loosing time and money, as well as bandwidth and space. You are also putting your computer at risk by allowing possibly hazardous content to enter your server. Supportcave.com offers free intelligent Spam Blockers, helping computer users to protect their computers as well as reclaiming their time, money, bandwidth and space from the spammers.

Every day - 365 days a year - more than 10 billion spam e-mails are sent out to e-mail users all over the world. Despite new laws and verdicts trying to strike down on the spammers, the number of spam e-mails are expected to rise to 30 billion a day by the end of 2005. Today spam constitutes 37% of all e-mail traffic in the U.S.

Spam is not only annoying, it’s dangerous and it is causing financial losses for companies as well as individuals. For example, an estimated 10 billion euros are spent every year by companies in the European Union to deal with spam. Spam is sent out by fraudulent companies and individuals and can often be infected with viruses, spy programs or other undesired software. Studies show that 95% of all computer viruses are sent through e-mail.

Even virus free spam causes problems since it consumes the users’ time as well as hard disc space. Spam is however not only shunned by the users, the Internet Service Providers abhor it as well since it chews up a lot of bandwidth and disc space, and the non-stop sending of e-mails uses a lot of system resources and stresses the e-mail servers. This leads to a less effective Internet and increased costs for everyone.

The best way to protect your self from spam and battle the spammers is to use a Spam Blocker. The most basic forms of Spam Blockers are software programs periodically checking your e-mail for the best known types of spam and remove them, or filter them into a special folder for you to remove. There are however much more sophisticated Anti Spam programs on the market. Spam blockers are Spam Filtering Software that lets you to remove spam e-mails from the mail server without ever pulling them down into your inbox. This means heavily increased security for your computer and your network and is the most efficient and effortless way of controlling your incoming e-mails. You will be given the opportunity to accept or delete suspected e-mails while they are still on the server. You can also choose to quarantine them for later review.

Spam blockers are equipped with a smart learning engine, which studies your decisions to keep or delete spam. The longer you use spam blocker software, the more effectively the program will sort your incoming e-mail.

Are you tired of spam stealing your time, bandwidth and hard disc space? Applying spam blockers software will allow you to determine up to 99.9% of the spam e-mails. Install spam blocker software today and start safeguarding your time as well as your money from the fraudulent spam senders!

Supportcave.com offers new and enhanced Spam Blocker Software. Not only will these programs effectively check and clean your email from spam, once installed it identifies and diverts spam before it reaches your inbox, - freeing up your time and your system’s resources.

One way to stop SPAM is to have two email addresses; your regular one and one you use while online when typing in forms. You real one you never give out expect to friends and close business associates. The other one should be a free-mail plus type account from MSN, which filters out all the junk SPAM.

It would have been nice if the government would have gotten on the ball after passing the CAN SPAM Act and actually got rid of some of these spammers, but the government is mostly all show and no go and they rarely do anything very well. Mostly they are good a fluff and fold public relations tactics, but getting rid of SPAM is a job for free enterprise and when the government tried they failed miserably, it was quite disgusting and a half ass attempt at best.

Oh sure the FTC Federal Trade Commission rounded up all the experts in the free market and sat them all down at a table to discuss and they served those jelly filled pastries and all that crap, but in essence they spent some 6-months on deciding what SPAM was and another six months in the committee trying to get their heads out of their rears and come up with a decent mission statement. One which would make them look good for their Media Press Releases and Public Relations Debut, but in the end it was all talk and we are still getting SPAM. Face it, the FTC is about a impotent to fix the SPAM issues as they are with getting rid of the Viagra ads. Think on it.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

What the heck is a SPLOG and who keeps making up these new Industry Terms for the Internet anyway? Well someone has to make up a name for some of the new things going on as the Internet Evolves. SPLOGS is a term that is used to describe "SPAM BLOGs."

You have seen these Junk Websites, which are filled with content that was scraped from some legitimate website, such as an article directory site, a blog or forum. Sometimes an actual website where the pages were copied. On these sites you will see many advertisers or syndicated advertising and pay per click ads of various types. Some article websites lose out to these “Cheaters” on junk SPLOG websites and it also cheats the Internet Surfer out of a quality day at the beach surfing. One Article website leading the charge against these SPLOGS and those who promote them is the fearless Christopher Knight and he tells his article authors on his; “Category Killer” Online article directory website specially designed for Ezine Editors and authors that:

“Any author listed on our site that gets reported or identified and investigated for splogging will lose their account. We do not want to associate with those who engage in SPLOGGING. The last thing we need on this planet is more SPLOGS — they are just as evil as email-based spamming.”

Many website owners are sick and tired of their content being stolen from their websites and one smart cookie; Soni Pitts of; http://www.sonipitts.com/ asks; “Got any advice for those of us who have been scraped? I’ve seen my stuff slapped onto a lot of splogs, but to be honest it seems that A) contacting them to take my content down simply invites further conversation with a splogger (and gives them my email address) and B) is simply a more Augean task than I care to take on, given the sheer numbers. . .”

There is not much we can do about copyright infringement on the Internet, but companies like Google are de-listing some them so it makes their search results cleaner. You can see the huge problem out their with these SPLOGS. Myself as an little unknown author could not agree more, what is bad about these SPLOGS is that they scrape our articles put them everywhere on junk BS websites, then we get penalized in the search engines when our same articles shows up everywhere, as duplicate content and thus no one reads them.

You see, most surfers who hit these sites click out and leave and are mad. This destroys the Internet and the Internet surfing experience, as humans like to track and hunt down information it makes them feel good and also the discovery of information.

Finding interesting articles and ironic information makes their N400 brainwave activate; it makes human beings happy as scientists have discovered. But when an Internet Surfer hits a "junk website" that is what I call them; then they are skeptical of the entire Internet and that hurts everyone including the forward progression of information sharing and the human race.

The BBC made mention of this and so did the Register Online this week, it is a huge problem which is slowing but it is still out there and problematic. Mr. Chris Knight and other Internet Web Gurus have been critical of this situation and gone out of their way in mentioning it previously, now the whole world is listening as these SPLOGs or Junk Websites are clogging up the flow of Information to the Internet.

One other issue which is quite serious and few seem to take into account is that it ties up servers and hogs bandwidth as these copyright bandits scrape the crème and rip off the articles from legitimate article directory websites and hard working Internet Entrepreneurs. I think it is unethical and absolute BS, when folks do this. What do you think?

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/