I have several email accounts including official ones from my employer and private ones from gmail, yahoo, and hotmail. Unfortunately, all of them are deluged by spam emails. It is said that spam emails account for 70% of total email volume. Nobody knows who is sending them, but everybody hates them.
In one of my gmail account, for example, there are 118 spam emails during last 3 days. By simply reading subjects and preview, I found the majority of them are selling Viagra and other libido-enhancing pills. There are about twenty emails selling mortgage, stocks and other financial products. I have no idea what the rest of spam emails are selling.
All email systems, commercial or free, have installed anti-spam software to counter spam attack, more or less successfully. Among all email accounts I have, I found gmail can identify almost all spam emails. Yahoo also does a quite good job although there are more spam emails circulating in yahoo than in gmail. There is no spam email in my Hotmail account not because it does a better job than others but because it is set up to receive only emails from those on my contact list. This is probably the extreme of anti-spam strategy.
Most email clients have some built-in anti-spam techniques too. The outlook can identify a lot of spam emails, but sometimes it may put regular emails into junk mailbox because they are either mass emails or from unknown people. Then to avoid missing any important messages, you have to check junk emails too. This makes its anti-spam effort less valuable. However, if you flag those mislabeled emails as non-spam, next time they will appear in regular inbox, which is kind of smart.
Fighting against spam emails is a hot topic in computer science. One simple technique is to junk all messages from nonsense email addresses because random email addresses are likely from spam senders. The most common technique is derived from neural network. The software can recognize patterns in spam emails and learn new patterns from future spam. They apply these patterns to all incoming emails to identify potential spam emails. Unless there is a major development in spam techniques, this pattern learning technique will be quite effective.
However, spam emails do evolve quickly. The first generation of spam emails has unmasked advertisements in their message bodies, as those selling financial products still do today. They can be easily recognized by anti-spam software. The second generation encodes advertisements in the message bodies, for example, using “ViaGaarl 4u†to represent “Viagra for you.†Now this won’t work any more. Most software will flag all these nonsense emails as spam (so be careful not to use this trick in your regular emails). Another variation of this generation is to put advertisements in pictures and attach them to empty messages. Nevertheless, the above spam tricks are to avoid being detected by anti-spam software. They are essentially passive methods. The third generation of spam emails uses active methods. The new ones now have lengthy, seemingly normal but meaningless contents in the message bodies and send advertisements as picture attachments. This may fool some software like those used in my employer’s system, but fortunately, gmail can capture them. It is possible that gmail system can learn from users. It is like a public voting system, the same as that of its free blog system. If a lot of users flag some emails as spam, then they are spam and should be junked.
The best anti-spam idea, I think, is the one proposed by Microsoft. They suggest that agencies or ISPs should charge a nominal amount of money for each email. For one year of normal email usage, people may pay only a few pennies, but those spam senders have to pay big money because they send millions of emails every day. This will reduce or even eliminate the profit from spam emails. Not being able to make any money, bad guys will stop sending spam emails.
It is hard to imagine that some people do believe the advertisements in spam emails. Recent investigation by FDA has found that those cheap but illegal drugs from the internet either contain suspicious ingredients or are completely fake. Any reasonable people should not fall in the trap of spam emails. But there are always irrational people in the world.
Spam emails, like computer viruses, will be part of our digital lives for a long time. Passive treatments such as anti-spam software at the client side may be effective, but vaccination such as charging money for emails or hunting down spam senders will be the ultimate solutions.
i think the anti-spam system of this page can be used in mail system. assume i send you an email, as i not not in your trusted list, your mail system reply me a simple question with exact answer. i give the answer and you receive the mail i send before. meanwhile, your mail system recognize me as your creditable peer and will not send any question when i send your mail in the future. most of spam emails are generated automatically and cannot answer the question intelligently.
BTW, i notice the questions of anti-spam system of this are always “what the sum of a and b?”. it’s bad! one can easily write a parser to grab a and b and provide the sum of them.
Comment by Anonymous — December 21, 2006 @ 12:21 am
Great article. I appreciate the info.
Comment by MJ99 PHP Scripts — March 14, 2007 @ 12:02 pm
I cannot completely commit to Camp 1 as I do think there are times, and situations, where users have to take responsibility for their own choices. For example, if someone choses to remain on dialup when higher speed connections are available, and within their reach, I do not think I should be obliged to design with their free choice in mind. If they choose to stay with an older browser rather than upgrade, why should I have to take that into account? To do so would constrain design and possibly compromise the experience of others for no good reason. http://www.managehairloss.com
Comment by Hair loss — June 28, 2007 @ 6:43 am
People just don’t like to write comments, they like to read posts therefore there is no need to fake posts. Take ProBlogger for an example sometimes he is left with 20 comments a day sometimes he is left with 200 comments a day even tho he is getting 25K-30K visitors . http://www.averagepenisenlargement.com
Comment by penis enlargement — July 7, 2007 @ 4:34 am
Among these important things there’s one thing which is been negleted by many of peoples which is the rest engiens.I will say that don’t neglect all the other engines listed on the page. Be sure that your website is constructed well, with good meta tags, keyword density and relevant content. It’s well worth all the effort! http://www.penisenlargementc.com
Comment by penis enlargement — July 15, 2007 @ 4:52 am
My main concern is that you can’t guarantee every page of your website will be included in the SERPs. Considering I’m constantly adding new products to my company’s website, I need to be sure that customers can find them as soon as possible.http://www.seoptimizerz.com
Comment by SEO — July 22, 2007 @ 12:35 pm
VigRX is a natural herbal formula for penis enhancement that works to increase penis size, improve sexual health and strengthen erections when you are aroused. VigRX , a carefully calibrated supplement for men’s full sexual health, penis enhancement and peak performance. http://www.vigrxpillz.com
Comment by vigrx — August 9, 2007 @ 2:10 am
penis enlargement | Sizomax penis enlargement pills © for enlarge 3-4 inch penis size.SizeOmax proudly has over 1 million men around the world who are completely satisfied about the quality and effectiveness of SizeOmax penis growth pills. http://www.penizenlargementz.com
Comment by penis enlargement — August 25, 2007 @ 8:59 am
” Penis health ralated articles and penis enlargement reviews by some Top Class Organization Like BBC, Oprah, ABC, CNN and found some best top rated penis enlargement medicines.www.penisenlargementmedicine.com
“
Comment by penis enlargement — September 17, 2007 @ 2:16 pm
penis enlargement and breast enlargement products reviews like vigrx, magnarx, natural gain plus, sizomax, vp-rx, breast gain plus, breast sucess, penis enlargement extenders, devices and penis enlargement pumps that enlarge penis size naturally up 3-4 inch in a month. http://www.enlargementt.com
Comment by enlargement — September 29, 2007 @ 9:26 am
Vigrx plus is the latest offering from the manufacturers of vigRX. It’s an improved and further more effective version of the original pill is an improved formulation of their original VigRX™. VigRX™ is a natural herbal formula for penis enhancement that works to increase penis size, improve sexual health and strengthen erections when you are aroused. Users have found that no other penis enhancemeVigrx plus is the latest offering from the manufacturers of vigRX. It’s an improved and further more effective version of the original pill is an improved formulation of their original VigRX™. VigRX™ is a natural herbal formula for penis enhancement that works to increase penis size, improve sexual health and strengthen erections when you are aroused. Users have found that no other penis enhanceme penis enhancement product provides the results that VigRX™ delivers.www.aboutvigrxplus.com”
Comment by vigrx plus — October 9, 2007 @ 12:30 am
You Can Easily Duplicate Success And Instantly Learn How To
Comment by butea superba — October 9, 2007 @ 11:24 pm
penis enlargement products reviews like vigrx, magnarx, natural gain plus, sizomax, vp-rx, penis enlargement extenders, devices and penis enlargement pumps that enlarge penis size naturally up 3-4 inch in a month. http://www.penisenlargementmedicine.com
Comment by penis enlargement — November 12, 2007 @ 9:35 am
Viagra is used to treat impotence in men. Viagra increases the body’s ability to achieve and maintain an erection during sexual stimulation. Viagra does not protect you from getting sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. http://www.gordoniihoodia.net
Comment by viagra — November 16, 2007 @ 2:26 pm
Vigrx plus is the latest offering from the manufacturers of vigRX. It’s an improved and further more effective version of the original pill is an improved formulation of their original VigRX™. http://www.gordoniihoodia.net
Comment by vigrx plus — November 23, 2007 @ 1:39 pm
Nail fungus picture and treatment by Waldon Research labs.
Comment by Nail Fungus Picture — December 1, 2007 @ 9:13 pm
I am Very thank full the owner of this blog. Becouse of this blog is very imformative for me.. And I ask u some thiing You make more this type blog where we can get more knowledge. http://www.penisenlargementz.com
Comment by penis enlargement — December 6, 2007 @ 2:46 am
penis enlargement pills reviews from all natural FDA approved penis enlargement pills store and chart comparisons at http://www.gordoniihoodia.net
Comment by penis enlargement pills — December 11, 2007 @ 3:41 pm
In just minutes, while sitting in your most comfortable chair,you’ll discover everything you need to know to
Comment by Breast Enlargement Cream — December 20, 2007 @ 4:56 am
Vigrx plus is answer for your erectile dysfunction, anti impotence, penis enlargement, and hard rock erections. http://www.vig-rxplus.com
Comment by vigrx plus — January 4, 2008 @ 3:54 pm
Natural herbal health care medicines, Articles, informations and daily updated health concerns issues and their solutions for better health and better life. http://www.naturalherbalz.com
Comment by penis enlargement — February 23, 2008 @ 1:50 am
Wow nice layout. can i suggest you one more thing for yoru blog.
Comment by breast enlargement — February 25, 2008 @ 8:03 am
This blog is very very informative. I would also like to add information to this. “Herbal Products” available on this website helps in curing medical problems, for example, there are various products ready for purchase (with money back guarantee) which help in breast or penis enlargement.
http://free.7host05.com/herbals/
Comment by Breast Enlargement Pills And Penis Enlargement Pills Male Female Herbal Products — April 8, 2008 @ 12:26 pm
Penis enlargement products, American Most Trustworthy Natural herbal productz store for penis enlargement,Which increase your size 4-6 inches, Double the size Double the fun.(Yes No Pain ALL Gain) And more productslike weight loss, male enhancement, skin care, acne solutions, breast enlargement, hairLoss for men and women , multi Vitamin for men and women, optimum Diabetics, eazol Pain Relief , stretch mark prevention, revitol skin brightener, revitol hair removal cream, revitol anti-aging solution.
http://www.naturalherbalproductz.com
Comment by penis enlargement medicine — April 8, 2008 @ 3:55 pm
I am glad to post my views and points in this blog, but I must say that webmaster of this blog has done a very great job to make his blog more informative and more discussable but unfortunately everything is same here that more than 80% in this and other blogs post their comments for making spam!!!, so i will really all this spam links to google band tool, because webmaster makes blogs for making discuss and for sloving each other problems. thanks
http://www.naturalherbalproduct.com
Comment by penis enlargement — April 11, 2008 @ 1:20 pm
I am Very thank full the owner of this blog. Becouse of this blog is very imformative for me.. And I ask u some thiing You make more this type blog where we can get more knowledge.
Comment by Prosolution — April 19, 2008 @ 12:18 am
How Effective are Penis Enlargement Pills
There are a number of penis enlargement pills on the market from a variety of different manufacturers most of which work in much the same way. Generally penis enlargement pills work by increasing the blood flow to the penis and thus enlarging the penis size.
The active component, in most penis enlargement pills, is Yohimbe which is claimed to be and aphrodisiac and generally boosts sex drive. In humans Yohimbe tends to increase the heart rate and blood flow and it is the increased blood flow to the penis that is claimed to increase the penis size. Many men who have combined taking penis enlargement pills with a natural penis enlargement program claim to have achieved the desired result in a shorter period of time.
It has to be said that manufacturers of penis enlargement pills can never boast an instant result, as with most penis enlargement programs and techniques it will generally be a few months before you will start to see any benefit. Penis enlargement pills will effectively take away some of the effort applied when following a natural penis enlargement program by doing some of the work while you work, eat and sleep, thus the combined approach should deliver you a quicker result.
In addition to using penis enlargement pills and techniques men can generally benefit from following a healthy lifestyle and diet. It is widely believed that smoking can physically reduce the size of a man’s penis as well as have a negative impact on sperm count and quality. In addition, those men who are clinically obese will generally see a significant reduction in the size of their penis with much of their penis hidden inside the body. It therefore goes without saying that instead of or in addition to taking penis enlargement pills or opting for any other penis enlargement techniques men should take stock of their lifestyles!
There are serval well recognised penis enlargement pills which is widely used with excellent success rates including prosolution pills, vigrx plus, and vimax pills. Users of the more popular penis enlargement pills claim an increase of 2-3 inches in penis size, with some achieving significantly more, and have also seen a reduction in problems with premature ejaculation and experienced a significant increase sex drive.
Comment by Fast Penis Enlargement Pills — April 22, 2008 @ 2:11 pm
Enlargement Your Penis Quickly & Safely Herbal Penis Enlargement
Comment by Penis Enlargement — May 5, 2008 @ 12:46 pm
All new and cheap herbal products in the market for enlarging your penis size without any surgery
only available at http://www.penisenlargementv.com
Comment by Penis enlargement — May 11, 2008 @ 5:10 am
Natural Penis Enlargement for increasing your sexual drive and pleasure.
Comment by Penis Enlargement — May 13, 2008 @ 1:26 pm
Penis enlargement treatments, solutions and natural herbal medicines to enlarge your penis naturally like 2-3 inches gain in penis size without any hesitation, worries and side effects for making your life more pleasureable and excited. http://www.penissizeenlargement.net
Comment by penis enlargement — May 27, 2008 @ 5:24 am
Articles are always hard to search but here are some options.
http://www.eshariq.com
Comment by Free Articles — June 11, 2008 @ 3:10 am
This comment only for the blog owner i just want to thanks this guy. becoz of i get lots of information form it.
Comment by penis enlargement — June 11, 2008 @ 11:36 am
I would like to say you all some this. This type of blogs is very informative but some guys miss use it just like thay divert the topic and I don’t like this . http://www.penisenlargementy.com
Comment by Vigrx Plus — June 20, 2008 @ 12:59 am
Nice work and I hope you will keep it up with your efforts. http://hairlosstreatmentx.com
Comment by hair loss — June 29, 2008 @ 1:30 am
Acomplia (rimonabant) is an anti-obesity drug. It was approved for marketing in the European Union in June 2006. Rimonabant is not yet approved for use in the United States, where it is known as Zimulti. http://www.acompliaonline.com
Comment by Acomplia — July 1, 2008 @ 12:51 pm