Date: Wed, 16 May 2001 06:01:01 +0000
Reply-To: TOURBUS-Request@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
Sender: The Internet TourBus - A virtual tour of cyberspace
From: Bob Rankin
Subject: TOURBUS - 15 May 01 - The End of Spam?
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TOURBUS Volume 6, Number 80 -- 15 May 2001
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\___/ \___/ T h e I n t e r n e t T o u r B u s \___/
FIVE YEARS of Searchable Archives at http://www.TOURBUS.com !!
TODAY'S TOURBUS TOPIC: Spam Filtering
I got lots of great feedback on the spam series, especially about
filters that really work! Could this technology spell the doom of
spam? Read on to find out...
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Spam Filtering: It Works!
---------------------------
In the last issue I mentioned BrightMail, a company offering a spam
filtering system that's being used by service providers such as
Earthlink/Mindspring, AT&T Worldnet, and others.
I asked for feedback from people who use the Brightmail/Spaminator
service and I got lots of it. The almost universal response was that
spam levels went down dramatically after switching on the filter, and
that instances of the filter catching non-spam emails was very rare.
Here is some of the feedback I received:
- I activated the spam filter and it immediately reduced the spam.
- To say the level of SPAM went down with BrightMail is an
understatement. It almost disappeared.
- Only the occasional spam gets through now.
- I was afraid Spaminator would filter out mail from mailing lists
I'm on (such as this), but it recognized them as desired.
- It even blocked the HaHa virus.
- Now I don't worry about spam at all.
If your ISP offers the Brightmail/Spaminator filter give it a try. It
seems to suppress almost ALL unwanted spam and viruses; and it gives
you the ability to review the filtered messages. If your ISP DOESN'T
offer the Brightmail service, tell them you want it or switch to one
that does.
Earthlink - http://www.earthlink.net
AT&T WorldNet - http://www.att.net
Hiwaay - http://www.hiwaay.net
The Beginning of the End?
Now this is VERY encouraging news to me. It seems that we have some
technology at hand that comes very close to solving the spam problem
entirely. If a majority of ISP's adopted Brightmail or something
similar, it could signal the end of spam.
It eliminates the spammers' complaint that ISP's who filter are
violating their "free speech" rights, because users decide whether or
not to use the filter. It also eliminates the need to track down and
punish spammers. What could be worse than being ignored?
And it would make anti-spam laws completely unnecessary. I have never
believed that involving lawyers and legislators in the process would
do anything to solve the spam problem. Technology created the
problem, and technology seems to be solving it - hooray!
---------------------------------------------------
The Book That Should Have Come With Your Computer
---------------------------------------------------
Do you sometimes feel like your computer runs you? Is your system
starting to get "flaky"? If you're tired of fixing, configuring, and
updating your PC then I've got some good news for you. Let me
recommend "The Book That Should Have Come With Your Computer". It's
nearly 400 pages of practical advice on CDROM that's fully searchable,
with color illustrations.
The Book was written by T.J. Lee, Dan Butler, and Lee Hudspeth, all
expert computer users and consultants whose advice has been seen in PC
Computing and Office Computing magazines. They're also the crew that
publishes "The Naked PC" newsletter that we've mentioned here in
TOURBUS.
This is not a book for super-geeks or computer experts. It's for
people like you who want to use a computer without all the hassles. I
recently got a copy of "The Book That Should Have Come With Your
Computer" and I can assure you that it explains exactly how to apply
each tip and start having fun with your computer again! Here's a
sampling of what you'll learn:
- The "Instant Expert" method of searching for info on the Web
- How to find the best Internet Service Provider
- The painless way to make usable backups of your computer
- How to prepare for computer disaster - before it strikes
- A simple three-point Security & Privacy Checklist
- How to camouflage your sensitive data from prying eyes
- How to assemble your new PC
- Child proofing your computer
You get all this information and a lot more for only $29.95 - shipping
is free to the United States. Buy the book and put just a few of
these suggestions to work, and I think you'll agree that it's a
bargain. I'm sure that this book will save you LOTS of time, money
and frustration. Follow the link below to get yours, and be sure to
let me know how it helped you!
CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS NOW
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When Prudence is a Bad Thing
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This next item has nothing to do with the Internet, and maybe that's a
good thing. The US Federal Reserve cut interest rates half a point
today, which prompted a quote that I found rather amusing:
"What is keeping us out of recession is the consumer," said
economist David Wyss of Standard & Poor's in New York. "There
is a risk of a sudden attack of prudence. If people stop living
beyond their means, this could turn into a recession."
So maybe you'd better NOT pay off those credit cards. It could send
the whole Western economy down the tubes. That's all for now, I'll
see you next time! --Bob Rankin
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