What to do about spam?

 

Spam is offensive and sometimes illegal, especially if it involves pyramid marketing. Internet Service Providers (ISP's) are strongly opposed to it. It angers recipients. It can clog up the ISP's systems due to its volumes and having to deal with returns.
 
Use your E-mail filters to delete or reroute spam.  If your E-mail system doesn't have filters, look at Spam Buster ($19.95 list; Contact Plus Corp., www.contactplus.com).

 

You can "sometimes" report spammers to their ISP by "forwarding" their intact  message to their or your ISP. Most ISP's have an address called "abuse" the ISP's name".

 

Never buy from a spammer.  If people don't buy, they will stop.

 

Avoid using "free" Internet services, e.g., free submissions, HTML validators, etc., that require detailed information from you.

 

Do not feed spam databases and confirm that your address is still valid by sending a reply E-mail and saying "unsubscribe".

 

Do not "flame" spammers.  They don't care or they would be in a legitimate profession.

 

Anti-Spam newsgroups include news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins.  Do an Internet search and you will find more newsgroups.
 
For more detailed information, see Josh Blackman's article at http://www.internetlawyer.com/locjosh/colum20.htm

 

The Information SuperHighway is wonderful and has many exciting sights. A few potholes are to be expected. Happy navigating."

 

Return to The Internet Lawyer May 1998 Issue