posted
i did it for a little while but then thought..why am i even spending more time other than the delete button. i'm not sure it does any good...they are always changing their addys after they get shut down. i'd just get some kind of filter. i don't know why someone thinks i need a fake rolex watch or viagra.
-------------------- Karyn Bush Simply Not Ordinary, LLC Bartlett, NH 603-383-9955 www.snosigns.com info@snosigns.com Posts: 3516 | From: Bartlett, NH USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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In my opinion, nope. Spammers keep spamming us because it works. In contrast, the response rates needed to make direct mail (junk mail) pay for itself are pretty high; a half to 1% of recipients need to buy something to make the break even point. And upfront costs are high; 50,000 postcards can cost over 20 grand to print and mail.
Spammers can make money if one or two people in a million respond ... and upfront costs are in the hundreds, not tens of thousands. Thus many people will jump on this bandwagon ... hourly.
And like any businessperson would do, they'll try to stay in business even when the playing field changes. They'll get around new blocking techniques, as they're implemented by the various spam-blocking programs. And they'll switch the IP they're sending from as the old ones get blocked.
So far, the best spam solution I've found is ELLA, which I train as I go. Also, coming to terms with the notion that spam is an inevitable part of the Internet, which even with spam, is still the best thing ever.
Editors note: Summa does not/will never spam. We hate it too.
My $0.02, Jim
-------------------- Jim Doggett General Manager, USA Yellotools, Ltd www.yellotools.com Posts: 500 | From: Sherman, TX USA | Registered: Mar 2000
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I totally agree with Jim, you know the guy that works for the company that sells the **wonderful** Summa equipment. I used to do the "unsubscribe" thing but I found out that it profiled me as an "active" person and was more apt to order online so I ended up getting more spam because of it. I only get about 3 offers a week for Viagra but still that can make you forget who you really ordered it from.
-------------------- Ricky Jackson Signs Now 614 Russell Parkway Warner Robins, GA (478) 923-7722 signpimp50@hotmail.com
"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Issac Newton Posts: 3528 | From: Warner Robins, GA | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
one of my clients is the world famous ron scelson. Google his name and you will see. He told me there is now way to really stop the spammers. They use software that will make up email addresses by the millions in just a few minutes. Then they will send you an email with a clear pixel GIF in it that signals back when you open it thus comfirming an active email. (those who use outlook with preview are a good target). They change their email return address via software and spoof. You simply cannot block enough of them. The answer is to filter every email that does not have a specific code in the "to" section.
For example.. Johny sam @testemail.com .. Any email without the "sam" part in the address will be sent to the trash bin. That way you will not open a clear gif spam by accident.
-------------------- Leaper of Tall buildings.. If you find my posts divisive or otherwise snarky please ignore them. If you do not know how then PM me about it and I will demonstrate. Posts: 5273 | From: Im a nowhere man | Registered: Jul 2001
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Hiya Steve, Complain to your ISP. That normally helps. I report the spam that is considered phishing. Since they are linked to a real web site, there may be a chance that the FTC may be able to do something. If nothing else, it makes me feel better. The FTC email for forwarding spam is SPAM@UCE.GOV You can learn more about safe surfing here: http://ftc.gov/bcp/menu-internet.htm Outlook also has a feature that disables the loading of images in a message. This includes blocking the clear gif images as Curtis mentioned above. This will help reduce spam with a new email address but if you have an email that's been active for a while, it's pretty much toast. These days, disposable emails are the way to go. I have several, but still practice safe web surfing with these email addresss too. On a bad week, I may get 2-3 dozen messages.
Havin' fun,
Checkers
-------------------- a.k.a. Brian Born www.CheckersCustom.com Harrisburg, Pa Work Smart, Play Hard Posts: 3775 | From: Harrisburg, Pa. U.S.A. | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
I use www.mail2web.com to preview all the e-mails on my server WITHOUT DOWNLOADING! It's a free site. All you need to know is your address and password.
It will list all your e-mails by date, sender, subject and size. You can select individuals or delete all in one hit. One of my old addresses gets over 100 hits per day. It takes me two minutes to scan it just in case there is something I want then delete all.
The beauty of it is you can do it from any computer anywhere in the world. Great when you are traveling.
I'm gonna delete mail at some point anyway, so I just check what I know is junk as SPAM, without ever opening it...
Hitting the SPAM button then permanently blocks that mailer from mailing me again, without 'verifying' my add.
. . .but this is through Yahoo. I dunno about other e-mails or blockers.
Also, I realize, they can change one letter of their e-mail name and get through again . . . but I'll just SPAM them again too.
Do you ever stop throwing out paper-junk mail from your home?? Yet it still comes to that box at the street . . . and I will never stop trashing it . . . .
PS: For home junk mail, pay attention...sometimes the return envelope is postage paid. Return it using their dime to ask them to remove you from their mailing list.
Also, on an return envelope with no postage but an address, write on, and return form part that has your name, asking them to remove you from their list. Then mail it with no return address. They will have to pay postage on it when delivered.
Too bad ~ so sad for the extra hassle on the P.O. They ought'a be doin' their thing to stop the madness too . . .
-------------------- Signs Sweet Home Alabama
oneshot on chat
"Look like a girl, act like a lady, think like a man, work like a dog" Posts: 5758 | From: "Sweet Home" Alabama | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
Hey Steve, Some other things I forgot to mention. An easy way to reduce spam is to use "-" or "_" in your email address too. I have a couple similar addresses where one email has a dash or an underscore and it gets no spam. The one that does not have the dash gets spam. Alos stay away from simple names like letterhead@..., signs@ or using your full name like brianborn@... My letterhead email address gets the most spam even though it was never listed anywhere on the net. Another option to use on your web pages is email address encoding. Do a google search to find pages that will encode it for you.
Havin' fun,
Checkers
-------------------- a.k.a. Brian Born www.CheckersCustom.com Harrisburg, Pa Work Smart, Play Hard Posts: 3775 | From: Harrisburg, Pa. U.S.A. | Registered: Nov 1998
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