Getting Rid of SPAM and ADWARE

Keeping SPAM and ADWARE off of personal computers is one of the biggest challenges facing users today.

SPAM is unsolicited e-mail. In addition to being a nuisance, SPAM also eats up a lot of Internet bandwidth or communication channels and this causes bottlenecks all over the Internet. Because the Internet is a public network, little can be done to prevent SPAM, just as it is impossible to prevent regular junk mail in your mailbox at home. However, the use of software filters in e-mail programs can be used to remove a lot SPAM sent through e-mail messages. The best thing you can do to combat SPAM is to never respond to it. Doing that just helps propagate it further and will most likely cause you to receive even more SPAM.

The next best thing you can do is look into the available SPAM filtering options that are available to work with your e-mail software. Today, many Internet Service Providers (ISP), like RCN and Comcast, handle levels of SPAM filtering on their computer networks. Since they are the folks who are relaying all of your email to you, it has become in their best interest to start some level of filtering out SPAM from their client's email boxes. After all, they want to keep complaints to a minimum and keep their customers. Contact your ISP to have them review your available SPAM filtering options.

Lastly, create a separate email address that you only use when filling out application forms that request personal data that you want companies have in order to contact you. Sometimes these forms end up in corporate marketing hands where your contact information is sold or even given to other marketing companies. Before long, your email address is in the hands of 10, 20, even 50 corporate marketers just waiting to contact you. Bottom line, never publicly give out an email address that you want to save just for family and friends.

Following these tips may just help you fight the SPAM battle.