How to Control Spam

Along with spam filters and other technology solutions, there are many simple things you can do to control spam.

• Share your primary e-mail address only with people you know. Avoid listing your e-mail address in large Internet directories and job-posting Web sites. Don't even post it on your own Web site (unless you disguise it as described below).
• Set up an e-mail address dedicated solely to Web transactions. Consider using a free e-mail service to help keep your primary e-mail address private. When you get too much spam there, simply drop it for a new one.
• Create an e-mail name that is tough to crack. Try a combination of letters, numbers, and other characters: Don2Funk9@example.com or J0e_Y0ng@example.com (substituting zero for the letter "O"). Research shows that people with such e-mail names receive less spam.
• Disguise your e-mail address when you post it to a newsgroup, chat room, bulletin board, or other public Web page. For example, spell out the symbols that usually appear in e-mail names, such as SairajUdin AT example DOT com. This way, a person can interpret your address, but the automated programs that spammers use often cannot.
• Watch out for pre-checked boxes. When you buy things online, companies sometimes pre-select check boxes to indicate that it is fine to sell or give your e-mail address to responsible parties. Clear the check box if you don't want to be contacted, to help keep your e-mail address out of circulation.