| Do you ever wish you could travel back in | | | | |
| time and smack yourself for doing something | | | | If your inbox is filled with spam, dump it. I |
| dumb? | | | | know using a new email address can be |
| | | | painful, but in the end you will be happy you |
| If I had a time machine, I would travel into | | | | took this advice. |
| the past and warn myself about SPAM (Right | | | | |
| after I played the winning numbers for | | | | Once the spammers find your email, you will |
| today's lottery). | | | | never be able to regain full control of your |
| | | | inbox. |
| Come step into my time machine, and take a | | | | |
| journey with me into the past. Let me show | | | | Step 2: Create a 'dummy' account at Hotmail |
| you how I conquered spam, and how you can | | | | or Yahoo! |
| follow in my footsteps. | | | | |
| | | | Whenever you post on a message board, sign-up |
| When I was younger, my best friend had a | | | | for an offer, or are asked to give out your |
| basement stocked full of spam. His family | | | | email, use this dummy account. |
| couldn't seem to get enough of it. | | | | |
| | | | Never use your main email address in such a |
| The moment I walked into his house, the aroma | | | | manner, especially on a message board. |
| of spam filled the air. | | | | |
| | | | Many people try to "disguise" their emails |
| When I was the ripe old age of twelve, I made | | | | while posting on a message board, under the |
| the mistake of my life...I tried a spam | | | | false assumption a spam bot won't grab this |
| sandwich. My friend convinced me that it was | | | | email. |
| "really good, dude." | | | | |
| | | | As an example:john @ |
| In my defense, I was starving and there was | | | | myemailaccount.comjohnATmyemailaccountDotcom |
| nothing else to eat. That thirty second | | | | |
| experience still continues to haunt me. | | | | The enemy has now programmed their spamming |
| | | | software to recognize these disguised emails. |
| This wouldn't be my first nightmarish | | | | |
| encounter with spam, however. | | | | Step 3: Use a contact form on your Website |
| | | | |
| Ten years later, while building my very first | | | | This is a critical step. So listen closely. |
| Website, I naively put my email address on | | | | |
| every single page of my site. | | | | Many savvy Webmasters use contact forms to |
| | | | prevent spam. However, it has to be done |
| I wanted to give my visitors a chance to ask | | | | correctly to be effective. |
| me questions, make comments on my site, etc. | | | | |
| | | | If you have your email address ANYWHERE |
| As my Website grew more and more popular, I | | | | within your HTML, the new spamming software |
| started to receive 100 spam emails a day. | | | | will find it. |
| Then 500, 1000, 2000...until it became | | | | |
| unbearable. | | | | Copyright © 2005 Jason Tarasi |
| | | | |
| I needed a solution and fast. | | | | You can't use HTML encryption to hide your |
| | | | address, like you could in the past. The |
| The first thing I had to accept was that my | | | | enemy has created new software that breaks |
| old email address was now useless. So I had | | | | down this code and grabs your email. |
| to give it a proper burial and let it go. | | | | |
| Then I created a new email address and | | | | Many contact forms require you to use your |
| applied spam prevention techniques I had | | | | email address to send the form information. |
| diligently researched. | | | | BIG MISTAKE. |
| | | | |
| The result? A spam free email account. | | | | The spam bots will grab any email address in |
| | | | your HTML, even if it is in your contact |
| Let me tell you, it is total bliss my friend. | | | | form. |
| | | | |
| You are in a war. You vs. the enemy | | | | Your CGI script should contain the response |
| (Spammers). The war has swung to the other | | | | email address - it should not be in the HTML. |
| side, but by using guerilla warfare tactics, | | | | |
| you can turn the tide of battle. | | | | When you are creating your contact form, use |
| | | | the "Mail-To-Form" script found here: |
| To win the ever growing battle against | | | | |
| spammers, you have to study your enemy, then | | | | Step 4: Make a graphic of your email address |
| prepare your battle plan. | | | | |
| | | | If you must have your actual email on your |
| This may be the most important sentence you | | | | site, create a small image of your email |
| ever read about spam prevention, so pay | | | | address. |
| attention - Spammers cannot fill your inbox | | | | |
| with their junk if they can't find your | | | | Then link this graphic to your contact form. |
| email. | | | | |
| | | | Now your customers can write down your actual |
| It really is that simple. | | | | email address and contact you at a later |
| | | | date. |
| With that in mind, below you will find your | | | | |
| battle plan: | | | | The war rages on against spam, but by using |
| | | | these guerilla warfare tactics against |
| Step 1: Say good-bye to your old email | | | | spammers, you will soon achieve your FREEDOM! |
| account | | | | |