Windows XP Power Hound

Slamming Spam

If you have a desire to enlarge certain body parts, want to make a mint at home in your free time, or expect Nigerian strangers to shower you with several million dollars in exchange for a modest investment, then you love spam. Otherwise, it's one of life's biggest annoyances.

The following section helps you to stanch the flood.

Hiding Your Email Address from Spammers

The best way to avoid unwanted mail is to keep your email address out of spammers' hands in the first place. There's no foolproof way to do this—no matter how hard you try, some spammers will track you down—but there are several things you can do to minimize the risk.

• Opt out of mailings. Web sites frequently ask when you register at them whether you want to receive email offers from the site's sponsors, or from the site itself. Just say no! Although some sites post privacy policies explaining how they use or share their email lists, often the best defense is to completely avoid sharing your address.

• Use a different email address for registering. Another strategy is to use a separate email address when you sign up for things online, so your main email account doesn't get overwhelmed with junk. (You can set up a free email address through sites like http://www.hotmail.com or http://www.yahoo.com; also, many ISPs let their customers use several email addresses on one account.) Use this alternative address when you register with a Web site, enter a contest online, or need to give your email address to a company ...