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