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SPAM (unwanted email)


You have probably seen an increase in the amount of "junk mail" which shows up in your email box, or on your favorite newsgroup. This is more commonly referred to as "spam." Spam has become a real problem for everyone on the Internet. It costs La Plaza and other ISP's money to transmit spam and to update their mail servers to stop spam. La Plaza does not give out, sell or otherwise expose their user database to anyone.

La Plaza does all it can to stop spam, but it is a never-ending battle. La Plaza has contracted with the Postini Corporation to help protect La Plaza servers and users from unwanted spam. Learn more about this service by clicking: here.

You can filter out the spam in your email program by learning to use the "filter options" in your program. Better yet, you can use th e Postini Email Assistant for only $1.50 a month to help you do away with 95% of the spam you receive. Sign-Up now.

Here are some basic rules on how to limit the spam you receive.
  1. Only give out your primary email address to people and companies you trust. Get a free email account from yahoo, netscape or other web-based mail services. Use this alternate email address when participating in chat rooms, mailing lists, newsgroups or for filling out online forms.
  2. Many times the spammer will have a REMOVE option. Do not reply. If you do, this is one way they verify that your email is valid and you risk being placed on other spam lists.
If you receive email solicitations with this paragraph included somewhere in the message:
"This message is sent in compliance with the new
email bill section 301. Under Bill S.1618 TITLE III
passed by the 105th U.S. Congress this message
cannot be considered Spam as long as we include
the way to be removed, Paragraph (a)(c) of S.1618.
Further transmissions to you by the sender of this
email may be stopped at no cost to you by sending
a request to be removed to __"
BE AWARE that this is but one more attempt by spammers to verify your email address. The bill they refer to "S. 1618" was never passed by Congress. In fact, Congress has not passed any bill related to spam. For more information on current legislation visit:   Spam Laws

The best thing to do with spam is to trash it, remember, "Thy Delete Key Is Thy Friend." You can forward offending messages to spam@postini.com. You will need to send the message with the entire header showing. This is so Postini can see the origin of the offending spam. Follow the directions below on how to view and send Message Headers: Outlook Express 5.0 and higher:
  1. Double click the message in your Inbox. This opens the message in a new window
  2. Click on File, select Properties in the Menu Bar
  3. Click on the Details tab to view the full header. A dialog box will open with the header information.
  4. Right click on the header information and click on Select All in the menu.
  5. Right click on the header information again and select Copy from the menu.
  6. Close the Properties window by clicking on OK.
  7. Click on New Mail to send a new message.
  8. Right click on the body of the new message and click on Paste. This will paste the headers into the message.
  9. Send the message to abuse@laplaza.org with "SPAM" written in the subject line.
Netscape Messenger 4.X and higher.
  1. Open the message.
  2. Click on View, select All Headers.
  3. Highlight the header information.
  4. Click on Edit, select Copy.
  5. Click on New Message.
  6. Right click on the body of the new message and click on Paste. This will paste the headers into the message.
  7. Send the message to abuse@laplaza.org with "SPAM" written in the subject line.
Read this article about Spam written by Sarah Van Cott from the Sante Fe New Mexican.

Here are some sites to learn more about spam. Check back often for new information and sites.

TISPA - Filtering Software Info
Texas ISP Association's (TISPA's) courtesy page for parents seeking information about blocking software. They have a welcome sign aimed at Taos.

The Internet Tourbus
This is a great site that features a weekly newsletter on things related to the Internet, including tips on how to fight spam.

Fight Spam on the Internet!
This is a comprehensive site on spam.

Coalition Against Unwanted Commercial Email
Advocates for a legislative solution to spam.

FAQ: How do spammers get people's email addresses?
An FAQ site that discusses not only the usual ways that spammers collect your e-mail address (from IRC and chat rooms, for example), but delves into some of the more unexpected approaches used, such as running spider-miners across Web sites or tricking a browser into yielding a live address without the user ever knowing it. The site provides some great links, one of which lets you test whether or not your browser broadcasts your e-mail address.


For questions regarding our website:   E-Mail - La Plaza Telecommunity