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(definition) Unsolicited Bulk Email noun. 'Unsolicited' means that the recipient has not given verifiable
permission for the message to be sent. 'Bulk' means that the message is sent as part of a larger collection
of messages, all having basically identical content.
Although there still seem to be some differences among the US Government, the lawmakers, the antispam organizations and the spammers regarding what is spam and what is not, identifying it is actually pretty easy: if you did not ask for it, you did not sign up on a mailing
list related to it, and did not leave your e-mail address on a web form asking for more information on it…it's spam! The spam issue is not about content, but solely about delivery method. The content of spam is and has always been irrelevant.
Again, if it is sent unsolicited and in bulk, it is spam plain and simple.
Sure we want spam to stop. Nobody wants their e-mail address cycling around from spammer to spammer. We can delete it, but have you ever stopped to consider how much time we actually spend each day hitting the 'Delete' button? We should not have to beg to be removed from
something we did not ask to be put on in the first place! So where do we draw the line? When do we start thinking it is not worth logging into our email account to read our messages? Despite the effort of thousands of angry spam victims pushing for stronger laws against
spammers over the last few years, not much progress has been done in this respect. Moreover, in January 2004 the U.S.
Government has passed the CANSPAM Act, a law backed overwhelmingly by spammers and large corporations, because it legalized
spamming instead of banning it. With the passage of CAN-SPAM, spamming has become legal throughout the United States. Now 23 million U.S. businesses can all begin spamming email addresses as long as they give users a way to opt-out. What CAN-SPAM makes illegal is the use of
open proxies or any form of resource misappropriation as well as use of false headers, which for the top spammers to avoid is business as usual.
We will not argue here about the motives of the US law makers to pass the CAN-SPAM, but rather focus on the problem of doing something about the spam in your mailbox. By doing more than "just hitting delete", you are helping to solve the problem. We should all exercise our
right of control, or we will lose it.
The million dollar question is whether it is possible to stop spam. The most honest answer to this question is probably not -- but you can significantly reduce it. Below are some clear and simple tips to greatly reduce the amount of spam you get:
1) Use a separate email address when you post messages to public forums, such as newsgroups and mailing lists. Never use your personal email address for this purpose -- or it will end up flooded with spam.
2) Consider acquiring multiple email addresses for different purposes.
This helps to identify
different sources and senders, and allows you to filter more effectively. For instance, you may have
one for personal use only by friends, family or colleagues that is never used to request information or
to subscribe to newsletters, discussion lists, etc. Another might be used just for sales inquiries or
orders, or for making online purchases.
3) You can subscribe to services online that provide you with disposable addresses that can be
deleted if they begin to attract spam messages. This works because the disposable email addresses
actually forward to a real email address of yours. The software lets you track which addresses are
getting spam, and you can just resubscribe using a new, spam-free address. One company that offers
disposable email accounts is Sneakemail.
4) Remove your email address from your website. If you list or link to your email address, you can
expect to be spammed. Thus, remove them wherever possible and use web-based forms instead. This
will drastically cut down the amount of spam you receive if you have a website.
5) NEVER buy anything from a company that spams. Do not visit their sites or ask for more
information from a spam email that you have received. Over 95% of spam offers are scams! In fact, not
responding to spam is the single most effective way to not get scammed on the Internet.
6) Filter your email. Using filters is key to managing your email effectively.
7) Consider subscribing to a spam prevention service. Make sure that any software or system you
select gives you control of which email you get and does not automatically erase messages. Also,
safeguard your newsletter and discussion list subscriptions. If you, your ISP or web host use spam
filters or white lists, be sure to let them know that you want to receive messages from any newsletters
or discussion lists that you subscribe to.
8) Report the spam to agencies that maintain statistics. Such agencies generally compile statistics that may be
useful in setting policy. One trusted anti-spam organization where you can report spammers is the Anti-SPAM League.
Learn how to become a member for free by Cliking Here.
9) Report fraudulent or otherwise illegal content to appropriate authorities. While fraud per se is
an issue separate from spam, unsolicited email often contains offers for illegal or fraudulent products.
10) Contact your Internet Service Provider. Although this is unlikely to affect the amount of spam
you receive since it is not their fault that their system was attacked from outside, ISPs want to know about spam attacks,
either to learn how to protect their system, or to set policy.
11) Contact the sender's Internet Service Provider(s). Most ISPs in the world forbid their members
to send spam. Therefore, if your complaint is valid, then there is a good chance the spammer will lose connectivity.
12) Demand restitution from the spammer. If you continually receive spam from a single source,
you have a right to demand repayment for the time and resources the spammer used.
13) Initiate legal action against the spammer. This should be a last resort, as legal action is
troublesome and expensive. However, well-executed legal action may do more than just get one
spammer off your back: it may lower the amount of spam on the Internet in general.
By forcing unsolicited and objectionable materials into our mailboxes, spam impairs our ability to
communicate freely and costs Internet users billions of dollars annually. You do not have to put up with
it: your best recourse is to protest to those who dump their trash on your disk drives! Organizations
such as The Anti SPAM League give you the chance to report spamming companies and individuals
and access valuable information on how to control the spam problem. The Anti SPAM League serves
as a resource to identify companies on the internet that are safe to do business with. Also, to target
which companies are trying to capture your personal information for the use of unsolicited mass
marketing. Take a step forward in the battle against spam. Learn how to become a member for free by Clicking Here
Sources:
- United States set to Legalize Spamming on January 1, 2004, January 2004 (The Spamhaus Project)
- I got spam! What can I do?' (Spamcon.org)
- The Spam Definition and Legalization Game', May 2003 (The Spamhaus Project)
- Stop Spam!' (Scambusters.org)
- Stop Spam FAQ' (Mall-net.com)
- The Fine Line Between Legitimate E-Mail Marketing And Spam' (By Clifford Kurtzman, Scambusters.org)
- eWEEK Enterprise News and Reviews
Related Links:
The Spamhaus Project (www.spamhaus.org)
Scambusters.org (www.scambusters.org)
CAUCE Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email (www.cauce.org) XX
Spam.abuse.net (www.spam.abuse.net/spam)
Junkbusters.com (www.junkbusters.com/ht/en/junkemail.htm )
CAUCE, The Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email (www.cauce.org)
Stopspam.org (www.stop-spam.org)
Spam Links (www.spamlinks.net)
Spamcon Foundation (www.spamcon.org)
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