Helpful Spam defenses (Tips)

Information I didn't know and figured I'm not the only stone age mind/21st century toys person out there.Some general spam tips: 1) never, go through a spam mail's 'opt out' process. That's just another way to try to get confirmation that your address is valid.(and I always wondered why I got more spam mail *after* I did that...) 2) never get mad and write them damning messages that demand they leave you alone. Same result-- they know yours is a valid email address that they can sell. 3) either don't accept html messages, or go offline when you view html messages that are from an unknown source. The spammers put images in their html messages that are actually located on their own machines. When you open a message that's in html, and they have an image of theirs in it, they know exactly when you opened that message and that they had a successful delivery. You're permanently on spam lists after that. (bummer - and I thought I was getting some free porn pics with those messages!)4) If you use a service like spamcop.net, don't report yourself. I know, it sounds silly to actually say it, but it's easy to do. When you use a service like that, it often takes URLs that are within the message, because the URLs often reference a web site connected to the spammer. But sometimes, the message contains your own URL, where they scanned to harvest your email address in the first place. Also, check the headers carefully to be sure the spammer didn't try to spoof your domain. When you go submit a spam report, be sure that you don't have any abuse addreses checked that are actually our own network. If you aren't 100% sure, don't submit the report, because it's not worth the hassle of proving you aren't actually the spammer. 5) if you forward your mail from one account to another, then likely you will be unable to report spam, because the headers you submit will be from your own email account and not the spammer. Use spam reporting services with caution! 6) watch out for spam that pretends to be an undeliverable message from a server post office or impersonates services you might use. For example, some spammers use Citibank, Sprint, Paypal and various credit card company logos within their html messsages, but the message is actually from a spammer who stole images to pull off the impersonation. Check headers *carefully* to make sure the email actually came from the company it says it came from. Be wary of following links with instructions to update account information or to opt out of future 'informational emails'. (Isn't this fraud?)7) be careful about putting your email address on stories that you have archived elsewhere, or of anyplace where your email address might be public, such as discussion boards. You don't know what other people are doing (or not doing) to protect content that includes your info.