A hearty welcome to all the spam fighting filters and programs created to rescue us from the deluge of unwanted e-mail! There is practically a "solution" for everything. But as with most online "solutions" filters and programs are only tools that users need to make some effort to use properly to reap the benefits.
You have to learn how to use these programs to your advantage or you can experience the unexpected downside. How can there be a downside when we're talking less spam you say? Unfortunately, all too often legitimate and expected e-mails are being eaten by filters and are ending up in the trash!
Twice this week I received terse e-mails from new clients awaiting my response on certain issues. Because they were new to working with me, they didn't know that I usually respond within an hour to most e-mail. My responses were not returned as "undeliverable" so what happened? Where are they? In both instances I called my clients only to find my messages had inadvertently landed in their junk or trash folder because of their ISP's filtering systems.
When communicating with clients and in my day-to-day communications, I do not go to extremes to alter certain words that may trip filters in my day to day communications. With folks I know, that shouldn't be an issue because they are supposedly expecting my e-mail. In addition, I always instruct new clients and subscribers to add me to their address book, approved or white list.
Plus as I am sure you'll agree, you've seen all those funky ways of spelling certain words with characters or spaces that are unnatural. I believe they ruin the flow of your message because the reader can't help but take pause to notice.
Before you send off a terse e-mail complaining or assuming no response, be sure you have covered the following:
1) When you know you will be communicating with a specific person on a regular basis, make sure you add them to your approved list or address book as soon as possible. Many onliners now use Web based e-mail such as Yahoo! and MSN that allow them to control who they receive e-mail from. Just as the majority of ISPs now give you the ability to filter e-mail based on level of spamminess or by adding e-mail addresses to your list so they can get through. Be sure to use these tools to avoid trashing wanted e-mail.
2) Same goes for Web sites or eZines you sign up for. Add their dot com to your list as soon as you sign up. Most legitimate eZines use a double-opt in subscription process that requires you respond or click on a link within an e-mail from them before you get formally added to their list. If you don't get that e-mail to respond to it-you will not be added.
3) Before you empty your trash or junk folder-go through the trash! Take a quick peak and look at the Sender: and Subject: fields to see if names are familiar or for a topic that is expected. Otherwise you risk wanted e-mail going out with the trash!
Three simple little steps can help ensure the e-mail you do want lands in your inbox. The e-mail you are waiting for may have already arrived!
About the Author:
Judith Kallos is an authoritative and good-humored Technology Muse who has played @ http://www.TheIStudio.com for over a decade. Check out her popular Software, Programming and Web Design Cheat Sheets @ http://www.LearnAndThrive.com
As the flood of spam increases end users are looking... Read More
Are you getting too much spam? We all are, but... Read More
What do they do? How do they work? Which one... Read More
You just sat at your desk, opened your email account... Read More
While we all admit that unsolicited commercial email is a... Read More
About a month ago I had the privilege of giving... Read More
If you're anything like me, you're pretty sick of it,... Read More
Very often SPAMMERS take advantage of catch-all email setup on... Read More
Unless the filters on your computer are really good, you're... Read More
Are you tired of spam stealing your time, your money,... Read More
Over the past few years you've all become familiar with... Read More
Email is the quintessential business communication tool, so when it... Read More
A Privacy Policy can be defined as the policy under... Read More
Do you get bounced, or rejected emails sent by someone... Read More
One of our Australian clients sent out a campaign using... Read More
Why is someone from India, Africa, or elsewhere writing you... Read More
What's the big deal? All you read on the internet... Read More
It seems like the volume of email spam has doubled... Read More
Marketers usually think of anti-spam tactics as 'how to prevent'... Read More
No. I'm not talking here about the outdoor activity enjoyed... Read More
I must be the luckiest person alive! My inbox is... Read More
Junk e-mail or spam has become the scourge of the... Read More
Block Spam and Other Email Threats From Entering Your Gateway... Read More
Google is engaged in a war. It is a war... Read More
Spam filter is the solution that most people resort when... Read More
Spam, spam, spam. It's terrible not only for those of... Read More
You must be one of them experiencing a lot of... Read More
We receive so much information on the Internet, especially via... Read More
Do you like spam? No, I'm not kidding. Everybody knows... Read More
The first thing I do every morning when I wake... Read More
5 Ways Spam Is Affecting Your Business And what we... Read More
6 August, 2004: Polesoft Inc., home of Professional anti spam... Read More
Spam can bring down your website faster than a speeding... Read More
RSS is the answer to the Spam epidemic of the... Read More
E-mails now have a connection back to their servers. I... Read More
Spam. Those annoying, time-consuming emails that clog your Inbox and... Read More
In today's spam-filled email world, it's sometimes VERY difficult to... Read More
Do you get bounced, or rejected emails sent by someone... Read More
Like everybody who will ever read this, I get spam... Read More
Why do so many people think I need to take... Read More
News last week that Internet service provider Verizon settled its... Read More
It's no secret that the US economy has slowed down,... Read More
1. Ignore Spam EmailDo not open an unsolicited email. Spammers... Read More
As the flood of spam increases end users are looking... Read More
6 August, 2004: Polesoft Inc., home of Professional anti spam... Read More
Let me ask a couple of questions:If (potential) customers sends... Read More
There are hundreds of thousands of people who are trying... Read More
Each day we all face the same challenge. Spam. It... Read More
Over the past few years you've all become familiar with... Read More
What do they do? How do they work? Which one... Read More
This review is taken DIRECTLY from a piece of "junk... Read More
Spam is everywhere. It's the "in-box lunch meat" nobody likes,... Read More
A Privacy Policy can be defined as the policy under... Read More
Spam is out of control! I guess that would be... Read More
Spam filters are responsible for deleting a high percentage of... Read More
As most small, medium and large businesses in this country... Read More
Before we start getting deep into the meat of this... Read More
Although there still seem to be some differences among the... Read More
Did you know that there are software programs that view... Read More
Google is engaged in a war. It is a war... Read More
How would you feel if you found a link on... Read More
If you've been around the interenet any length of time... Read More
Effectively stopping spam over the long-term requires much more than... Read More
Are you tired of spam stealing your time, your money,... Read More
Email is rapidly becoming the standard means of communication among... Read More
Spam is annoying. Period. Why people would want to send... Read More
Spam Blocking |