# Advice on stopping spam

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-stopping-spam/176431>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 21, 2003, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-stopping-spam/176431 "2003-05-21T00:11:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-stopping-spam/176431/1 "2003-05-21T00:11:20Z")

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I’m helping this small business owner with various computer issues he’s having. One thing he’s complaining about (not surprisingly) is the amount of spam he’s receiving. I’m computerly comptetent, but I’m really not up-to-date on what sort of software (if any) is out there. He uses Outlook Express…are there any plugins or 3rd party programs that can be used to help fight the spam battle?

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**Author:** ![TheDerf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@TheDerf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheDerf)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-stopping-spam/176431/2 "2003-05-21T00:17:25Z")

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I really like a product called (fittingly enough) I Hate Spam. It’s shareware, so he can try it first, but it’s worth the modest price.  
Check it out @ [http://www.ihatespam.net/](http://www.ihatespam.net/)

Derf

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**Author:** ![SkiChick33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@SkiChick33](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkiChick33)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-stopping-spam/176431/3 "2003-05-21T02:25:08Z")

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Outlook express has lots of nice filtering capabilities in itself.  
If he has a tech, usually he can come up with some rules to filter out stuff and put it into everyone’s email.

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**Author:** ![SkiChick33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@SkiChick33](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkiChick33)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-stopping-spam/176431/4 "2003-05-21T02:29:16Z")

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Or try this for a list of Outlook Express software:  
[http://download.com.com/3120-20-0.html?qt=outlook+express&tg=dl-2001&search=+Go!+](http://download.com.com/3120-20-0.html?qt=outlook+express&tg=dl-2001&search=+Go%21+)

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**Author:** ![NBIT33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NBIT33](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NBIT33)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-stopping-spam/176431/5 "2003-05-21T03:22:35Z")

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Bite the bullet and change the e-mail addresses.

Then, do not post the e-mail addresses online in text (use a graphic to show humans readers what the e-mail is). Of course, do not link the graphic with the mailto: container.

Set up a secondary e-mail address for “spam-risky” use, such as registering domain names and purchasing porn.

Follow this procedure and you will be virtually spam-free for years.

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**Author:** ![bbeaty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@bbeaty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbeaty)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-stopping-spam/176431/6 "2003-05-21T08:07:32Z")

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Just don’t respond to spammer ads. The spammers’ income stream will cease, and all spam will vanish overnight.

🙂

Of course for this to work, ALL email users everywhere would have to stop responding to spam advertizements.