h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: How to Fight Spam - A921098
Author: dave - U195408

Article A921098
"How to fight spam"

written by dave (U195408)

Let me know what you think.

Caw. Caw. Caw.

Same as in WW. Nice entry, hope it gets in, it'll be a good reference point for all those who are aflicted by spam ( sounds like a tropical disease!)
Oberon2001

Nice one! Should definitely go EG-wards.

Gubernatrix

I've been through the entry very carefully and I can't see anything at all that I think needs to be changed!

Well done
RhoMuNuQ

thanks all. And thanks to those souls in WW who put in there there.

Dave

Whoops, posted this in the Writing Workshop thread. Here goes again :

Hi, Dave, nice Entry.

What I'm missing is actually some advice on preventing to get spammed, i.e. :

not using your e-mail address as a Usenet handle
not leaving your address on message boards or websites,
not replying to SPAM in any case
not choosing an easy-to-guess address @hotmail, yahoo etc.

Sure it's good to know how to track a spammer (although I could easily make it my day (and night) job) but the first and (IMO) best way to fight it is to prevent getting it at all.

JAIB

OK, after rereading the entry I found you mention taking preventive measures "for all correspondence which might be in jeopardy of falling into the hands of (the) spammer...". Maybe adding my previous comments would clarify which actions can lead to the account actually being in jeopardy.

JAIB

Thanks, those are good points. I'll add those in.

Dave

Good info aved, which more people need to be aware of, many people trust far too much in the electronic community, very few of which are as benign as this one.

Some more points about 'preventing to get spammed':
- in a forum, don't write your email address in full:
.... wrong: [email protected]
.... better: [email protected]
.... or: john at a provider by the name of doe dot com

On your web site, don't post the address either.
.... wrong: mailto:[email protected]
.... better: [email protected] (ie: the html tags are there to prevent spiders from identifying the real address, while it's still readable to human eyes
.... even better: don't use alphabetical letters at all. Instead, take a screenshot of your address and post it as a .gif image.


Bossel

Hey Bossel,

I tried to add that info you mentioned as a footnote. It's footnotes 2 & 3, under the second paragraph under avoiding spam.

dave

cool entry. Let's put it in the edited guide!

the subheader section, shuttin' 'em down (I think it was) is mostly opinion, a very popular opinion, but a scout may be wary to recommend this if there is too much opinion. Nice entry though

Your Guide Entry has just been picked from Peer Review by one of our Scouts, and is now heading off into the Editorial Process, which ends with publication in the Edited Guide. We've therefore moved this Review Conversation out of Peer Review and to the entry itself.

If you'd like to know what happens now, check out the page on 'What Happens after your Entry has been Recommended?' at EditedGuide-Process. We hope this explains everything.

Thanks for contributing to the Edited Guide!

Nice one dave!

Let the war against spam commence...

Congrats!

I guess I was wrong... who cares?

Thanks all for help and support.

dave

Well done!

RhoMuNuQ