spam blocker

[jes]

What program is good for blocking spam?
I have taken a look at some of these: http://download.com.com/3120-20-0.html?qt=spam+blocking&tg=dl-2001 but am not sure what is best.

[Budfred]

I use MailWasher to filter out SPAM since I don't like to risk missing something I want and accidently downloading garbage missed by the blocker. MailWasher tells you what you have and you can delete before downloading....

[jes]

This is for my dad. He is sick of spam and is wondering if there is a way around it. It sounds like Mailwasher just filters the spam into another folder for you. Is that what it does?

[Budfred]

No, MailWasher lets you preview what you email is before you download it and delete it. It also flags some as SPAM and can identify some infected emails. When you delete it, it is removed from the server, so it is never actually downloaded on your machine and it is gone, kaput, finished, deceased and so on..... You set your email program to not automatically download so that you get to choose what to keep and dump the rest, then manually download what you want.

It also has a feature to "bounce" an email back to the SPAMmer which is supposed to get the SPAMmer to remove you from their mailing list, but since so many use forged addresses to mail from, this feature doesn't work that well....

[kayofcircles]

Budfred: I doubt if I can get my uncle to go for something like MailWasher, but it's not too big (just checked on that) and it says it will work with ME. So, my last question is...do you know if it will play nice with Norton Internet Securities?

[Budfred]

It seems to play ok with Norton AV and firewall because I have all three set up on a couple of computers. I use Norton AV and it doesn't seem to cause any problems, except when Norton is crashing my whole system...:(

[kayofcircles]

It turned out that he only has version 5 of Outlook Express, so the settings in OE 6 that Mark recommended are not an option. And blocking has only been partially helpful, so I am sending him the links to MailWasher and your comments about it above..for when he gets desperate. Thanks.

[Sylvander]

The free Beta version that I got in the UK handles all my accounts.

However, when I used NetMeeting to download to a PC in Oregon, the free version on offer didn’t support Hotmail accounts.
You had to pay if support for Hotmail and more than one account was required.

[kayofcircles]

I was wondering about that the other day..if MailWasher worked for Hotmail..and if you had to set the Hotmail account up to be downloaded via Outlook Express. Just idle wondering because I don't access my Hotmail that way..I go to Hotmail, and do have the Junk Mail folder "gathering" all mail from people not on the Address list. Been kind of strange, though..in the last week or so when my uncle has been spammed like mad, I have actually gotten far fewer spams in my Junk Mail folder. Some days last week got nothing at all..go figure...poor uncle getting all "my" junk??

[Budfred]

I believe I still have the version of MailWasher that supported Hotmail and before they started charging for it, so if you need it, I can send it by email...

[Sylvander]

I’m just beginning to get comfortable with Mailwasher and it feels good.

At the moment it’s minimized in the System Tray.
It’s set to fetch mail for my three accounts [including Hotmail].
It’s configured to fetch every 15 minutes and the passwords are set so I don’t have to give them.
So, for example, I hear a beep-boop and the Mailwasher icon flashes, I right-click and “Restore” and up comes the window with the mail showing, one of which is a duplicate for this thread. I hit the spacebar to read them quickly and discover that, so I tick one for delete. I click "Process Mail", Outlook Express opens and I fetch the remaining e-mail.

The good thing is the quick notification of received mail, the speed at which it’s read [text mode is used, no viruses can be downloaded] and the general feeling of being in control.
It takes away that feeling that others have you at their mercy.

Netmeeting is GREAT for sending files [and doing other things too].
They transferred really fast when I tried it [both PC’s were using broadband].
You sit there and watch the indicator rapidly approach 100% as the file goes from PC to PC.
Imagine being able to speak to people anywhere in the world [PC to PC] for as long as you like at no cost!
And being able to fix another persons PC for them!
Or to look at how their PC is set up and how it works!
I have Windows 98 but was able to see XP in action.

[kayofcircles]

Sylvander: My husband has PC Anywhere at work..that is what the program techs use to fix the stupid propane program when it screws up. And yeah, pretty cool.:D

Thanks, Budfred..if you don't mind, I would appreciate it. I am not on the whatsit thing here though..so not sure if you would have to reveal your email addy to email me?

And I have a possibly stupid question. What counts as download? Okay, when I open OE in the mornings, and hit Send/Receive, messages are downloaded into puter and ISP Inbox is "empty." Okay, got that part. And if I "open" something nasty, I am in trouble. But when I go to my Hotmail account and look at message list..have I "downloaded" that? Or is it just a list on Hotmail's puter until I click on message to "open" it?

[Sylvander]

I can open Internet Explorer and click on one of my stored favourites to go out onto the web to the Hotmail web page for my “MSN Hotmail Inbox” where I am asked for my password to match my e-mail address [remembered by a cookie I think].
It then tells me “You are about to view web pages over a secure connection.”
Then “Any information you exchange with this site cannot be viewed by anyone else on the web.”
Then I get a security alert saying “You are about to leave a secure Internet connection. It will be possible for others to view information you send.” [Instant contra diction]
When I ok this, Internet Explorer goes to a web page serving my personal Hotmail address.
I presume this is on some other computer out there on the web.

And that’s what I dislike about it!
My mail is on someone else’s computer.
How secure is it?
I presume some Secret Intelligence Service in the land which acts as home for that computer will be able to access my mail at will.
Which land?
And which Intelligence Service?
I know e-mails are like postcards and anyone anywhere could be reading them, but I still don’t like it.
You might want to say some delicate, intimate, private, personal things to someone.
The ability to do so is VITAL for the proper maintenance of intimate private relationships.
It would be nice to have a means of doing that knowing that NO-ONE [not even the state] could interfere with them, or make use of them for their own purposes.
I know it is said that PGP and such encryption methods are practically uncrackable, but I’m cynical enough to believe that the Intelligence Services would never allow an uncrackable code into the public domain.
I’m inclined to think they have a back door and they’re in a position to be capable of reading everything.

Besides which, I’ve never figured out how to make use of Hotmail the way I can do things with Outlook Express.
Has anyone else?

[Budfred]

If you mean that you don't have Private Messaging here, you could activate, send me a message with your email address and then deactivate it. I could then send you the file as an attachment.

As for the Hotmail question: I don't know. When you view mail in MailWasher, it hasn't be downloaded yet - it remains on the originating server until you use an email program to download it. Since Hotmail is Web-based, it may also do the same thing, but I don't use it, so I don't know if that is the case. You might want to check Hotmail FAQs to see if they comment on it.

Edit:

Sylvander,

ANY email you send by any means is passed through a number of servers on the way to you and at least temporarily stored on those servers. Except for encryption, there is no way to make sure you are completely secure if you use email....

[Sylvander]

I use both Hotmail and Mailwasher.

You can both read Hotmail messages and [or then] delete them from Mailwasher [it's simpler to do that].

If you want to or need to do more, you can go to Hotmail and do it there.

Just a couple of hours ago I discovered that an e-mail from one of our PC-Guide contributors had been automatically put in my Hotmail junk folder, so it didn't show in Mailwasher.
Black mark to Hotmail!
Beware!

Hotmail has been told this sender is a "friend" and not to be junked.
I only discovered it as I was checking out the operation of Hotmail for this thread.

[kayofcircles]

Budfred: No, I was concerned for you. My Hotmail addy is still listed for all to see here..I think. (see Edit below) I got the Hotmail box long ago for "public". The few times that someone here at the forum has emailed me, their addy has shown up in the message coming to my Hotmail box. Anyway, I won't "do" anything with your addy if it does show up..I just wanted you to know that I might "get it" if you are concerned, and that you might want to send the MailWasher through your web based email?

Sylvander: One would like to think that their email was private, and I think it is..up to a point. But, it's similar to cell phones..if the government wants to listen in..it's not that hard. And be grateful that you live in Scotland because our government DOES want to invade our privacy now.

Okay..on the Hotmail thing. When I first got the account, I didn't want to have to re-enter my password and all that stuff, so tried making a link to my Hotmail account. Never could get that to work, but after checking my home/ISP addy every morning, I just click on the Help menu in Outlook Express, Microsoft on the Web, then Hotmail and that opens IE and takes me directly to my Inbox..well, not anymore, but does take me to the page where it lists how many messages I have in Junk and Inbox. I check my Junk folder first because I have the filter set to weed out all mail except for email from those on my Address list, so messages from here do go to Junk where I just "move" them to the Inbox..all the rest get trashed at the same time with the "empty folder" option.

Edit:..I just checked..and there is no Email gizmo anymore..so just erased my Hotmail addy I had posted above..like I am keeping it secret that way..LOL. Isn't it awful the way we have to keep getting more and more paranoid??? I swear there's gonna come a day when I am like my uncle.. too afraid to surf because of the BAD guys out there just waiting to "get me"...sigh.

[Budfred]

Have you tried putting PCGuide into your address book so that the notices from here don't automatically go to Junk??

I sent the MailWasher file a little while ago. It may take a while to download....

[ErnieK]

Sylvander
Re your post about others accessing your mail.

In the UK (I think it is in the EU as well) You can send encripted mail, and PGP is about the safest for using.

BUT! the security services have the power to come and ask you for your password to enable them to read it. (If they have reasonable cause to think that that you are engaged in criminal / terrorist activeities - and that covers awide area)

If you refuse to give them it, it an offence, and you are liable for a jail sentence. This goes for all the passwords that you keep on your computer as well, even if you have a word document protected like this.

This law was put before parliment, and as far as I know, passed last year. There is a further move affoot to tighten this law up further andf give them total access to ALL information, They will be able to stop any and all mails enroute and read them.