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This week, by popular demand, we continue our series on spam solutions with a more in-depth look at what software is available, and some tips that you can use to reduce the deluge. In other voices Digital Web thinks fluid design, Adaptive Path talks user- friendly URLs, and we welcome a new site into the fold. In Net news this day, Microsoft finds FrontPage flaw, Mozilla releases Phoenix, Ulead updates software, and Microsoft gives us a glimpse of their version of the future.
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| 1. FEATURE: | Spam Solutions II |
| 2. OTHER VOICES: | |
| 3. NET NEWS: | |
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The response from our first spam story was tremendous. Apparently I'm not the only one who has been inundated with spam. Many readers sent in other tips and tools that they use to reduce their spam load. As promised here's another installment of Spam Solutions. For those of you just tuning in, here's the first installment:
http://www.webreference.com/new/020916.html
Spam, or unsolicited email, has exploded on the Internet. With a marginal cost of zero email advertising and solicitations have a heady appeal to marketers hoping to sell their wares. Spammers use special spiders and software, and buy huge targeted email lists to email tens of thousand, and yes millions of users at a time. If only a small percentage of users respond, spammers can make money.
Email program makers like Qualcomm (Eudora) and Microsoft (Outlook) offer partial solutions. Eudora users are encourage to enable "Moodwatch" or create filters to redirect potential spam to other mailboxes.
http://www.mindspring.com/~aegreene/eudora/no-spam.htm
Outlook users have "Junk E-Mail" and "Adult Content" filters that work by searching keywords and can download filter updates, but these aren't 100% effective. That urgent business proposal from Uganda still seems to still slip through. As fast as users tweak their filters, spammers find another way in. What users need is a more robust approach.
* Steps to Stop Spam
First, avoid making your email address easy to harvest. Consider using Hotmail or a similar account when posting messages to the web. Use your primary or business account only for communicating with colleagues. Second, disguise your email by spelling it out, (andy at jupitermedia dot com) using JavaScript, or embedding words that users remove before sending you email.
Third, don't let the smammers know you are there. Don't reply to spam expecting to be removed, you've just confirmed your existence. Also, turn off automatic HTML image downloading in your email program, the default (at least in Eudora) of on, automatically registers that they've got a live one at the other end of that email. When I turned off "Automatically Download HTML Graphics" in Eudora, the amount of spam I received went down.
* Spam Software
There are two approaches to filtering unwanted spam: server-side and client-side. Server-side solutions nip the problem at the ISP level before they ever get to you. Here are some solutions:
Brightmail - Spam Wall, popular ISP option works with sendmail
http://www.brightmail.com/
http://www.sendmail.com
SpamShield - Perl based filtering for sendmail
http://www.spamshield.org/
http://www.onlamp.com/pub/a/onlamp/2002/09/12/spamshield.html
Sendmail anti-spam measures (be sure to get the latest version):
http://www.sendmail.org/m4/anti-spam.html
Spamcop.net lets the spam flow to the ISP, but you redirect your email to them, they filter it, and your retrieve it back from them.
* Client-side Spam Solutions
Client-side solutions abound. Other than Spamfire and Spamassassin that we mentioned last time here are some other client-side spam solutions (all Windows):
http://www.digiportal.com - Choice mail, permission-based approach
http://www.mailfrontier.com/ - Matador, combines techniques
http://www.mailwasher.net/ - Mail Washer, freeware
http://www.mcafee.com/myapps/msk/ - Spam Killer from McAfee
For more information on spam and some solutions see:
http://www.business2.co.uk/articles/web/0,1653,43199,00.html
http://chronicle.com/free/v49/i05/05a04701.htm
http://www.clickz.com/em_mkt/em_mkt/article.php/1467431
http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/library/l-spamf.html
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-959694.html
http://slashdot.org/articles/02/09/17/1746248.shtml
[contents]
| 2. OTHER VOICES: | Fluid Thinking User-Centered URL Design New Site: DatabaseJournal.com |
Peter-Paul Koch continues his new column for Digital Web with a
look at fluid design with CSS. Should we gracefully degrade or
think forward compatibility or just think different(ly)? You
decide.
http://www.digital-web.com/columns/keepitsimple/keepitsimple_2002-09.shtml
Digital Web Magazine, Sep. 24, 2002
[contents]
How to avoid user-hostile URLs with redirects and other techniques.
http://www.adaptivepath.com/publications/essays/archives/000058.php
Adaptive Path, Sep. 24, 2002
[contents]
We, meaning Jupitermedia, are proud to announce a new database
site, DatabaseJournal.com. The site features daily database-
related news, feature articles, scripts, tips and lively discussion
forums. Enjoy.
http://www.databasejournal.com/
[contents]
| 3. NET NEWS: | Microsoft finds 'critical' FrontPage security flaw Mozilla flies over speed bumps Ulead sharpens photo software Microsoft Shows Off The Office Of The Future |
Microsoft finds 'critical' FrontPage security flaw
Microsoft said Wednesday that the SmartHTML Interpreter
contained in Microsoft's FrontPage Server Extensions could enable
an attacker to run malicious code or to instigate a
denial-of-service attack. Ah, those server extensions.
http://www.infoworld.com/articles/hn/xml/02/09/26/020926hnfrontpage.xml
Infoworld.com, Sep. 26, 2002
[contents]
Mozilla flies over speed bumps
Based on Mozilla 1.1, Phoenix 0.1 loads in nearly half the time.
http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1104-959310.html
ZDNet.com, Sep. 25, 2002
[contents]
Ulead released PhotoImpact 8 Wednesday, a new version of its
digital imaging editing suite.
http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1104-959376.html
ZDNet.com, Sep. 25, 2002
[contents]
Microsoft Shows Off The Office Of The Future
"The software company on Thursday opened its Center for
Information Work, an office-of-the-future mock-up located on its
Redmond, Wash., campus that's designed to show off technologies
it's researching--and others it imagines--to about 1,000 customers
each month."
http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20020926S0001
Information Week, Sep. 24, 2002
[contents]
That's it for this Thursday, see you next time.
Andrew King
Newsletter Editor, WebReference.com
aking at jupitermedia dot com
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Created: September 26, 2002
Revised: September 26, 2002
URL: http://www.webreference.com/new/020926.html
