TECH: Fighting Spam

By Dean Davis

DEAR DEAN
I am frustrated by all the email I get from people trying to sell me something. First of all, how did I get on these lists and second, how do I get off?
MARYLIN (Atlanta, GA)

MARYLIN

Let me begin by saying that most of us, perhaps excluding the notorious spammers, are frustrated by unsolicited commercial E-Mail, also know as SPAM.

There are a plethora of ways in which one can be added to E-mail lists, and it’s very difficult, despite recently passed legislation, to remove yourself entirely from the various E-mail lists. Here are some tips to help suppress the SPAM:

Be cautious about giving your E-mail address to non-trusted web sites. Be equally as cautious about protecting your E-mail address from trusted institutions

Read the terms of agreement, terms of usage and other documents that are provided by the institution you are subscribing to; oft-times they will mention whether or not your E-mail address will be shared with affiliates. Use anti-spam software on your computer such as SpamAssAssin.com and Symantec.com. 

Consider maintaining a separate, e-mail account for many of your online interactions; once the SPAM becomes overwhelming, you can delete the account and create a new one.

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