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Ridgenet's Spam Prevention
Spam: Any unsolicited e-mail sent to
your e-mail address.
Please Note: Replying to spam is a very bad thing to do.
It only produces 2 results.
- First...the spammer faked the return e-mail
address and when you reply to say "stop sending me spam"
it goes to an innocent by standard or
- Second....when you reply you confirm to the spammer that your e-mail
address is valid and the user reads their spam. (Exactly what a spammer is hoping for)
Ridgenet customers can
set their own desired spam filtering preferences. Spam filters effect both e-mail downloaded to
your computer as well as e-mail checked in web mail. If you are happy with
you spam filtering, you don't have to do anything. However, if you would like to change your spam filters
follow the instructions below or contact Ridgenet and we can change your settings over the phone.
Intructions for changing your spam filtering
preferences.
- Log into webmail by entering your username and password on the right.
- Then click on Options
- Click on Spam Filter Configuration.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the web page and under "General Settings" change your
Spam Score to reflect the amount of spam you want our server to let
through to your account.
- Click the Save Settings button to apply the changes.
1. Ridgenet spam filtering
Yes, Ridgenet is running a spam filtering server. In fact we just updated the spam server with new filters
on January 28th, 2004 , however if you are still receiving spam read the tips below for some help.
2. Install a spam filter
Spam filters are programs which help you sort..delete..and identify spam. These spam filters can cost
anywhere from nothing to $50.00+. Here are a list of some which have been recommened to us. We do not use
or support these programs. For technical help you will need to contact the manufacturer.
- Mail Washers FREE
Make sure you turn off mail bouncing. It doesn't prevent e-mail and
it also teaches Ridgenet's Spam filter that spams are valid e-mails.
- Spamex $9.95
- Qurb $29.99
- Mail Washers Pro $37.00
3. E-mail help@inland.net
to find out about exchanging your
old e-mail address for a new one for free. Also find out
how having an e-mail alias can provide future prevention against spam.
4. Use three email accounts
Dedicate one email address for online sign-ups that require a
working email address (for when a site wants to email you a confirmation
password). Once a site sends you the password for whatever account you
sign up for, spam starts rolling in. They'll sell your address to hundreds
of other spammers, making you a popular target for junk email.
"Bwspamaccount@hotmail.com" is the address I use for most online sign-up forms.
Dedicate another email address to newsletters. I get alerts from various
companies about new products and security developments. I also subscribe
to newsletters from different media sources. I use my "bwnewsletters@yahoo.com"
account so that these periodicals don't overwhelm my personal account.
Many newsletters will spam you or trade/sell their email lists to other
spammers, so these accounts will fill up pretty fast. I also use this address
when I post to newsletters or for articles I post online, but I still end up
wading through spam to find any reply emails.
Use a separate personal email account. I guard this address fiercely. It's only
for friends and family and not to be used in any way that would allow abuse by spammers.
5. Forget using '@'
When posting your email address online, instead of using the @ symbol, spell
out "at," as in becky"at"techlive.com. Spam bots won't recognize this as an
email address but a real human will change "at" back to @. This is also a good
way to stem incoming viruses, as they get victims' addresses from cached webpages.
6. Never unsubscribe to spam
That's how they know they have a live email address. Just ignore.
7. Don't play ball with spammers
The National Archives and Records Administration says that in its early days,
the Nigerian spam scam had a 10 percent rate of return. Of all the emails sent out,
10 percent of people responded wanting more info. Of that 10 percent, 1 percent got
financially involved. This is why spam rates are rising, because people are responding
to spam and it's a viable marketing and sales tool.
If you have any problems following the above instructions or would prefer personalized
help please call or e-mail us.
Back to the Main Help page
Technical Support
Subscribers with questions about their service or technical problems
should contact RidgeNet technical support. Technical support is
available via phone, fax, and e-mail. Contact Us
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