Re: **SPAM**

[Alan Heubert alan@xxxxxxxx]

Forgive me if this list has already discussed
spamgourmet.com as a way to avoid spam. I can't imagine a group likelier
to appreciate this site as much as I do. It's only a way to avoid getting
new spam, though; it won't protect you from spammers who've already got
your address. This is a letter I wrote recently, describing it to some
friends. -Alan
Clark introduced me to this simple solution for avoiding spam. I've
been using it for months now, and it's so simple, and works so
delightfully well, that I thought I'd pass it along to any of you who
receive spam. Just log on to
http://www.spamgourmet.com/
to set it up. For those who are curious, here's a simple description of 
the system:

You need to connect to spamgourmet.com only once, to choose a user name. 
I chose alanheubert@xxxxxxxx. Now, whenever I need to give my e-mail 
address over the internet (when buying something, or when registering to 
use a free service such as on-line newspapers), I make up a name I've 
never used before, say "namefortoday", and give my e-mail address as 
namefortoday.5.alanheubert@xxxxxxxx. (They also mention other domains 
you can use, such as "spamgourmet.com" or "xoxy.net." It's good to pick 
one and stick to it, though.) When the company to whom I've just given 
that address sends me e-mail, spamgourmet forwards the mail to my real 
address (which I gave to spamgourmet that one time I connected to their 
site).

Here's the good part: That "5" in my address (I'm free each time to use 
any number I'd like up through 20) means that only 5 e-mails will get 
forwarded to me. Any further e-mails to that address will simply get 
eaten by spamgourmet. That's the basic system, and all you need to know 
(though there are additional options for connoisseurs [and you XyWriters 
will love them all]). The folks who set up this site have great spirit! 
Their home page proudly announces statistics of how much spam they've 
"eaten" to date. The service is free.
Since first sending out that letter, I learned that there's just one other 
detail to using that system well: You need to make sure you don't give out 
the same e-mail address twice, because if you give it out once (say that one 
I used above as an example) and receive five messages from them, you'll never 
receive another that's sent to that address. So if you give the address out to 
someone else, you'll never receive anything from them. My system for making 
sure I choose a new address each time is simply to use today's date in the 
address, e.g. 101204.5.alanheubert@xxxxxxxx. Then if I need a second address 
in the same day, I'd use 101204a.5.alanheubert@xxxxxxxx. Not the prettiest 
addresses, perhaps, but the companies to whom you're giving it out won't care 
a bit.
 
At 11/22/2004 07:44 AM -0600, Robert H. Kubie wrote:

Several people on these lists have mentioned email software other than 
Eudora that they use and are pleased with.  Shareware or freeware, I 
gathered. May I trouble some of you to name them again?
Michael Norman