Spam Blocker

Bashdur K · Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 2:57 pm Post subject: Spam Blocker

I give up. I came into the office this morning and had 549 junk e-mails. This has got to stop. I'm missing e-mails I need to read when I have to comb through all the crap.

Can anyone recommend a reasonable spam blocker to use with MS Outlook 2000? I tried to use the Junk E-Mail Filter built into Outlook. For months I religiously added every single junk e-mail to the list. On a typical day it may catch 10 out of 300, because the SoB's change their name with each wave of spam. Also I got somebody on the junk list by accident, and removing them from that list still tosses their e-mails in the trash.

It's time for my yearly FORMAT C:, and I'd like to install something to filter out some of the crap.

Thanks in advance...
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Gryfndor · Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 3:13 pm Post subject:

I haven't used this but its a good read and the software is free.
http://www.computerworld.com/softwaretopics/software/groupware/story/0,10801,83689,00.html
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Gryfndor 65 Wizard
Epiphone 65 Necromancer
Niche 57 Enchanter
Farzy 51 rogue
Nasgul 29 Shadownight

Shiloch Veneficus · Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 4:13 pm Post subject:

Can't say as I don't use any spam filtering on the client level.

My business e-mail is being pumped at lightning speed through MDaemon 7.0.1 with AntiSpam (which uses Kaspersky's engine), and my personal e-mail is with Netaddress (which handles my spam for me).

If we're talking about personal e-mail, the best way to keep spam controlled is to just change your e-mail address and never sign that e-mail up for ANYTHING (except for maybe EQWalkers.com). Keep a Hotmail or Yahoo or some other freebe service to use for signing up for crap.

-Shane

Jenny · Member Joined: 23 Mar 2004 Posts: 2916

Can a book have no title? Do you think everyone will agree? Chat amongst yourselves.
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Neffretiri · Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 4:16 pm Post subject:

We use a filter service at work called Postini. It can be kinda slow tho. But it seems to be very good at catching the spam and allows you to designate addresses that get filtered there by mistake to bypass it. Will try to find a link for ya to check them out.
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Bashdur K · Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 5:27 pm Post subject:

This is my work e-mail, and I really don't want to go through the hassle of changing my address, too many contact have it, would have to change business cards, etc...

The link Gryf posted looked promising, and I downloaded it. But then it wanted me to install and set up something called Python, and then a Python email agent, and then set up a localhost for e-mail, etc... Beond me at this point.

Our e-mail host offers spam blocking for $30.00/person/month. Too much of an expense, since there's only a few of us getting this deluge of spam, and it's all accounts or none with them. We did find out that one of our "former" co-workers thought it would be great fun to sign a few of us up on about 5000 different internet sites, and getting rid of the mass amounts of crap that came from that little trick has proven futile.

Shiloch Veneficus · Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 6:50 pm Post subject:

I'm curious, what type of internet setup does your company have? If you've got a connection capable of handling it, you should use an on-site e-mail server.

Literally the best way to handle spam is at the server level if at all possible. The only thing you're really doing by installing a spam filter on client machines is adding more overhead to the computer and just moving it someplace else you'll eventually have to look at it and delete it anyway.

If you can do it with a server, you're going to save the spam from ever reaching your clients, preserving your bandwidth, saving them speed, and makes for an overall happier group of people.

Actually, forget what I said about your internet connection. I just remembered that the software package I'm using (MDaemon) has something called a DomainPOP engine, which collects e-mail from a single address at the host and filters it to the proper user folders on itself for users on your LAN. That setup with its spam and anti-virus features would probably be the best answer. You're looking at an upfront cost, but it is well worth it.

If you want to give it a shot, they have a 30- or 60-day free trial you should take advantage of. Any configuration problems you might have I'll be able to help you with.

http://www.mdaemon.com

-Shane

Jenny · Member Joined: 23 Mar 2004 Posts: 2916

what type of internet setup does your company have is an interesting subject to me too.
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"Enough about me, let's talk about my dress."

Bashdur K · Posted: Mon May 10, 2004 7:08 pm Post subject:

Our mail is hosted by our ISP. We do not have Exchange. I needed something brainless and inexpensive. I am the Senior Estimator and the only person crazy enough to mess with the computer stuff, so I became the "computer dude" by default about 10 years ago. Basically I am the "un-fucker" - if it plugs in the wall somehow I ended up in charge.

Well I ended up with a piece of junk mail from McAfee about a Spamkiller. I checked into it and ended up buying it for a single computer. It doesn't stop anything at the sever level, but I was thrilled to get to the office and find 6, yes 6, e-mails instead of the 300-500 I usually have on Monday. They go somewhere, and I don't care where, they are just gone.
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fasterfind · Member Joined: 13 Oct 2004 Posts: 82

The topic of modern SPAM would be a great idea for a Monty Python remake.

"I DON'T...like... SPAM!!!"

When it comes to spam, I find that the best filter is to get a new address and then closely guard it. Begin by not posting your address online. A lot of the spam addresses that get widely distributed were obtained by a process called harvesting - which is kinda like how a search engine goes through the web and catalogues web pages... an email harvester visits the entire web and harvests email addresses from text and links.

I got it easy because I own a webserver, I just set up a new address about once every 3 years and I'm good. I also like to use forwarding addresses because they are disposable.

Perhaps the best trick I've came across is that when I do list my email address online, I'm actually giving out my autoresponder. People hit the responder and that gives my real email address. When a mailbot hits my responder, it trashes the feedback. 99.999999forever of junk mail comes from automated programs that aren't going to be checking responses.
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Dantenx Guildseeker
(my actual surname)

RL Computer Tech
The geek shall inherit the earth.

Addonnicus · Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 1:32 pm Post subject:

I used to get about 400 spam emails a day. My buddy recommended a program called "IHateSpam" and since I installed it, my spam has been reduced by about 98%. You get a 30 day trial, and if you like it, it is $20 a year!! Honestly, the best $20 I have spent in 2004...or at least in the top 10!!

Add

Whizbang Dustyboots · Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 8:07 pm Post subject:

I use Mozilla Thunderbird for my e-mail client (free!). Years ago, some numbnuts posted my private e-mail dress to the Web, and I get literally hundreds of e-mails a day since it is a very old address that is apparently in everyone's database by now. Thunderbird, which has to be taught what you consider spam (it's good about not marking Word of the Day as spam 99 percent of the time, for instance), gets easily 7/8 of the spam that comes in. For someone who gets less than that, it should be able to kill all your spam dead.

In addition, Thunderbird is a very fully featured e-mail system that can handle multiple accounts and pretty much everything you'd ever want, while being super state of the art, FREE and using relatively little memory. Great program.

I also strongly endorse the accompanying Web browser, Mozilla Firefox.
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Daneloire · Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2004 10:58 am Post subject:

Yay, another Word-Of-The-Day subscriber. Today's word is 'cavort'. Not terribly sesquipedalian.

-Dane