Spam, Spam, Glorious Spam

I have just completed my first anniversary with SpamArrest and I have to say, taking the good, the bad, and the ugly into account, that it has been a lifesaver! Twenty four thousand spams were blocked in this first year.

Account Statistics:
Messages Processed 26912
Messages Forwarded 2601

I made the mistake during the last six months of 2001, of browsing European internet sites in search of material for the novel I was writing at the time. The browsing wasn't the mistake, it was in using my own email address. At some point I must have risen up above the radar horizon for spammers, because my spam shot from 4 or 5 pieces of spam a day to 70 spam emails daily. My spam count is now well over 100 emails per day but none of it reaches me because of SpamArrest.

The good I referred to is the complete absence of machine generated spam. I can put my email address [email protected] where all can see and the address bots can do nothing useful with it. It takes a live person at the keyboard to get a message to me. I can answer all email daily.

The bad part is that some of my technically challenged friends can't seem to negotiate the challenge-response barrier that shows up when they send me their first email. They see the autoresponder message and think it is spam and delete it. Sigh... I usually find their messages in my monthly sweep of the spam midden at SpamArrest.

The ugly part is that I cannot use my regular email address for online purchases or I will find their acknowledgements weeks later in the spam midden.

When I was composing this post, I Googled for the words to the famous Spam song. I haven't find the song yet, but I did find an interesting post about spam on Silflay Hraka: The Warren
Now I know why that site shows up on so many blogrolls.

Comments

[Trey]

Saw you over at Fred's place. This is a fine offering you have here. I'll be back.

[fredf]

Got a bump at Fragments via Ripple from Sydney this morning (Jenny and Geoff of Mulabinba perhaps?). Hey send me info on your comforter chest (?) that you told us about... dimensions, et cetera, image if possible. Thanks!

[Bill Schaffer]

This site is so refreshing and well written, and I love the photos. I will spend more time on it (in it!) after I call you!

Bill