Stopping spam in the first place

Users can do a lot of things when browsing the Internet to make sure that they do not end up receiving spam. But before anyone can prevent the actual receipt of spam, he or she needs to be aware of why spam is received in the first place. So, why is that annoying spam sent?

To start off, the most common reason why users receive spam is because they submit their e-mail address to a Web site or company that starts sending them advertisements or sells their e-mail address. Usually, most Web sites notify you when they intend to sell your e-mail address, if they plan on doing so. This notification is commonly hidden away in the terms of service agreement or privacy policy so much so that 99 percent of Web visitors check the agreement
box but never actually take a look at the information.

This is by far the number one reason why users receive spam. They sign up for some service that promises them some great free offer, such as free movie tickets, and then they end up receiving tons of spam because they didn't realize that they gave the Web site permission to sell their e-mail address to thousands of other companies. If they would have taken the time to read the terms of service agreement and the privacy policy, they would have found out that by using the so-called free service, they give the Web site permission to do whatever they want
with your personal information.

Paying attention to the details is very important when you're using the Web. With the absence of useful laws that actually make a difference on certain Internet subjects such as spam, some companies take advantage of users. If you are considering signing up for a site and cannot find their terms of service or privacy policy, do not use their service. That lack of information should be a huge warning sign.

Another common reason why users end up with inboxes packed with spam is because they inadvertently sign up for various newsletters. I shop online a lot and end up creating many different accounts at different stores so that I can purchase items. During the signup process, you are almost always asked if you would like to sign up for their deal-of-the-week newsletter or some other kind of promotional material. They want you to give them permission to send you more advertisements so that, it is hoped, you will buy from them again. You may think that this is nice, but when you have accounts at 25 different online stores, you could be getting a lot of messages that are just advertisements. When you are creating accounts at online shops or other Web sites, make sure that you uncheck all of the newsletter links, unless you really want to get one. These options are usually placed on the Web page in a location that you may overlook. The check boxes are checked on purpose so that those people that miss them automatically end up on the advertisement mailing list. Keep an eye out for these boxes and you will be able to
cut down on spam.

If you follow the two tips just mentioned you will dramatically cut down on the amount of spam you receive. Another way to fight spam is to create separate e-mail accounts. There are several different Web sites on the Web from which you can get free e-mail. Create separate accounts on these free sites or request more mailboxes from your Internet Service Provider. Then, use each mailbox for a different purpose. I like to have one mailbox that is just for my personal mail from my family and friends. I never give away that address on any Web site and even tell my family and friends never to submit that address to any Web site on my behalf. I have been doing that for the last two years and still to this day have not received any spam to that account. I highly suggest that you create an e-mail that you will use for personal mail only and never give that address to any Web site.

I also have a separate account that I use for all of my online purchases. This way, if I ever start to get too many weekly newsletters and some unethical store sells my information, I can just close the e-mail account and start up a new one with a different name. Additionally, I have a separate e-mail address (my junk mail address) that I give to any Web site that requests an e-mail to sign up for something. This way, I can still get the confirmation message that a lot of
sites require you to do something with to verify your e-mail address and not have to worry about the site sending me tons of junk that will fill up my personal inbox. You should defiantly create a separate junk e-mail address so that you can give that address out to Web sites instead of using your personal address.