Bobcaygeon Promoter, September 7, 2001
NetScoop: Spam, spam, spam, spam
by Anne Panter
Every morning I turn on my trusty computer and send it off to pick up the mail. While it is downloading, I make the bed, then, if it's still not finished, put on the coffee, then... if it's still not done, I could vacuum the living room, or, more likely, give up and disconnect. And what is all this important correspondence that is tying up my phone line? Mostly advertisements - for everything from "free" Caribbean vacations to Viagra (or maybe both). The worst, lately, have been big files attached to a message "Hi How are you?" , which prompt the same reaction as a cockroach in the kitchen - and the same treatment: get that out of here, fast! (That message is the "signature" of the SirCam virus).
Email is so easy to send, and so cheap, it has become the latest advertising medium. Unsolicited email is so pervasive it has been nicknamed "spam", (remember the Month Python menu... spam and beans, spam and beans and eggs, spam and spam and spam...?). Like "junk mail" in your post box, or radio or TV ads, some of it might actually be useful or at least entertaining. But, if you object to having your phone line tied up, or are concerned about what your kids might find in the in-box, there are ways to avoid this stuff.
"Filter" programs with names like CyberSitter or SpamKiller will weed out unwanted messages from your email. The simplest way to keep it off your computer, and drastically reduce download time, is to check your mail on the server - ie. on your Internet Service Provider's computer. Delete all the "junk mail" there, and download what's left. Nexicom subscribers can do this from the "Webmail" entry at www.nexicom.net (my alternative to vacuuming the livingroom). If your ISP doesn't have this service, there are some alternatives. At www.mailstart.com you can check mail on any server, (once a week for free, or any time, for $10 a year). Another option is to get yourself an email address at www.yahoo.com , which has very handy a "check other mail" feature.
Of course, the minute you sign up for a yahoo address, or any other "freebie" on the internet, you will find yourself on even more spam lists. There's still no such thing as a free lunch! To remove yourself from the lists, look for the "unsubscribe" address at the end of the message.
Finally, don't become part of the problem! Viruses such as SirCam spread by sending infected messages to everyone in your address book - without your knowledge. Thanks to Cairine Evans for this tip posted to kawartha-online: If you make the first entry in your address book invalid, any attempt to "send all" will fail, giving you an error message "the message could not be sent". So - create a "new contact" with name :!0000 (that guarantees it will be first) and leave the email address blank.
For more tips on avoiding spam, plus a lot of other helpful conversation, join us next Thursday, Sept. 13, 7pm, at the Lions' Club, Bobcaygeon.
The Kawartha Internet Users' Group meets on the second Thursday of each month, 7pm, at the Lions Club, Main St., Bobcaygeon. New faces are always welcome
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apanter@kawartha.net
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