Avoid Spam

As a follow up to last weeks post, here is how to avoid getting spam in our inbox from the start. This list is not exhaustive but should be a very effective start in reducing the amount of spam you receive.

A. Don't visit questionable websites.
 1. This is good advice to begin with. There are a lot of sites out there with malicious intents.
 2. This includes not clicking links that you don't know about or are unsure of, especially from emails.

B. Don't give out your email address.
 1. If you do happen to visit one of the questionable sites just mentioned, just don't give out your email address.
 2. Once someone has it, they often sell it to spammers.
 3. Stores will often ask for your email as well. This is not needed at all. There have been cases where stores have sold email addresses or their list was stolen by hackers.

C. Make a secondary email account designated for junk.
 1. If you do feel compelled to fill out the forms at websites you're unsure of, a secondary email address is well suited for this.
 2. This can also be the address you make public to people on your web page.

D. Do not publish your email address.
 1. It is easy for someone to send you spam when your address is made public.
 2. As I just stated above, you can use your secondary address when you have or want to do this.

E. Remove from List
 1. Most commercial emails have a link at the bottom to remove yourself from the distribution list.
 2. This is usually very small, so look hard for it.

F. Report the Spam
 1. Most email clients have a way for you to report the email as spam.
 2. This will help that client filter spam better in the future.

G. Edit Settings
 1. Sites like Facebook or others associated with your email should have settings that determine how much mail they send you.
 2. You can also sometimes decide whether your email is visible or not.
 3. You should also read website's Privacy Policy before giving your email address