OT - Suggestions for dealing with spam

Alpha Kodiak · #1 August 9th, 2003, 01:12 AM

Ok, I am now reaching a boiling point with spam. Now that pornographic ads are showing up addressed to my kids, I need to take some action. Currently, I am using Outlook Express as my email package, and have had very little success catching any of them with the message rules that I can set up. I figured someone here might have some ideas on any of the following:

1. What free or very inexpensive email package might give me better control over the email coming in so I can trap the really bad stuff before it drops into my kids in boxes (or mine for that matter)?

2. What packages seem to work well for protecting kids on the Internet while allowing them to reach legitimate sites that are not listed with some rating service? Do any of these packages also screen email?

3. What legal options can I explore given that these clowns are sending porn to minors? I know about uce@ftc.gov, and will be forwarding the emails to them, but I don't know that they can really do too much about them. I'm wondering if anyone knows if there is any law enforcement agency that would actually try to do anything about this stuff. I plan on checking with the Arizona Attorney General's office, but I wonder if there is anywhere else to go.

Until now, I have just manually screened my kid's email, which is fine and I plan to continue that, but lately the volume of spam, as well as the inappropriateness of the content has increased considerably. They have in the past signed up on web sites for kids, like Disney.com, Fox Kids, Harry Potter, Barbie, etc., etc., and somehow recently their email addresses must have been sold by one or more of them to the general email list market.

Suicide Junkie · #2 August 9th, 2003, 01:23 AM

Signing up for anything using your real email account is a very bad idea.

Instead, create a one-shot hotmail account, but don't be surprised if you get spam there before you get the confirmation mail for the thing you just signed up for.

Alpha Kodiak · #3 August 9th, 2003, 01:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Suicide Junkie:
Signing up for anything using your real email account is a very bad idea.

Instead, create a one-shot hotmail account, but don't be surprised if you get spam there before you get the confirmation mail for the thing you just signed up for.

Unfortunately, one of the things that the kids like from the kid sites are various email updates and such. The only way for that to work is to give an email address that will stick around for a while. One solution might be to use an account until the spam starts getting bad, then get a new account. That doesn't change the fact that the situation is just plain wrong. If someone were caught giving my kids porn through any other media, they would be elligible for long term free room and board in a government provided institution.

At any rate, I am hoping that there are some tools I can use to make it easier for me to screen them from the garbage.

Mathias_Ice · #4 August 9th, 2003, 03:00 AM

Ah, good old Disney.When I was a kid you could trust them for good, clean fun. And now, like 99.9% of all American corporations, the bottom line and political correctness is all that matters.

Here is a link to some information that might be useful.

I commend you for your concern for the hearts and minds of your children. My boy just turned three and in far too few years I will also be dealing with this issue. Maybe decency laws will actually be enforced then. Yeah, right.

Mathias Ice.

Suicide Junkie · #5 August 9th, 2003, 03:44 AM

Blacklisting stuff is clearly not adequate to the task, so try using a whitelist.

IE:
How about filtering EVERYTHING into the trash?

You can then have rules to pull out the stuff from disney, family and friends, and sort those into their own folders, or just to a common inbox if you like.

Quote:

Originally posted at cnsnews.com: "This isn't an issue of discrimination; it's an issue of discernment. Homosexuality definitely is a social disorder. It is not genetic, it is acquired," Sheldon said

LOL.
Age isn't genetic... its acquired.
So its okay to discriminate against old/young/etc people too?

[ August 09, 2003, 02:51: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]

tesco samoa · #6 August 9th, 2003, 06:05 AM

Hey Mathais... Disney never was what you though it was as a child.

Just think about what you said.

When you were a child you could trust them

AK... I suggest you get rid of those emails and start over.... As once spam starts thats it.

Create the one offs that Sj mentions and then set up forwarding for the ones that do not recieve spam....
If it receives spam then remove that forwarding and let the addy die. And set up another.

That way you can control what gets home.

Just remember 1 email address for each site.

That way you can monitor what comes through from each site.

If crap starts. Email the company and ask them why ( from the corrupt email address )

And remove the forwarding

eorg · #7 August 9th, 2003, 12:54 PM

really good e-mail client - 30 days trial http://www.ritlabs.com/the_bat/index.html

DavidG · #8 August 9th, 2003, 03:44 PM

Have you checked if your ISP can filter spam? I have mine do that although it only gets about 75% of the crap. I get the rest with a program call Mail Washer which can automatically delete spam.

Personally I hope you have some success with #3. These guys really piss me off. I mean if some guy came up to some kids on the street and showed them a porn mag how quick would he be hauled off to jail?? But somehow it's OK to do that on the net.

Ruatha · #9 August 9th, 2003, 04:03 PM

Oops, DavidG beat me to it. (Never leave the computer while typing and then return later to finish it....)

There is a program called mailwasher that exists in a free Version.
Ther you can have working filters, both what to let through and what to filter, and that wich is filtered you can bounce back so to give the impression that your e-mail adress isn't valid, all this can be done automaticly.
You can pre-view all mail before you let it come into the Outlook in-box and decide what should be filtered and what shall be let through.

I started having problems this spring with some spam and e-mail viruses being sent to me (Don't know why) and installed mailwasher, and now I haven't received either during the summer.
But I also do use resstriction with my e-mail, almost never give it away on any sites, only SE4 sites so far...

Good luck.

http://www.mailwasher.net/

[ August 09, 2003, 15:04: Message edited by: Ruatha ]

Mathias_Ice · #10 August 9th, 2003, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tesco samoa:
Hey Mathais... Disney never was what you though it was as a child.

Just think about what you said.

When you were a child you could trust them

Uh, huh?

Quote:

Originally posted by Suicide Junkie:

quote:
Originally posted at cnsnews.com: "This isn't an issue of discrimination; it's an issue of discernment. Homosexuality definitely is a social disorder. It is not genetic, it is acquired," Sheldon said

LOL.
Age isn't genetic... its acquired.
So its okay to discriminate against old/young/etc people too?

If something can be aquired, it can also be avoided. Show me someone who avoids age.