There doesn't seem to be a quick way of blocking spam. I would think that to right click a message and click something like BLOCK would suffice, or Block Sender, or something like that. It would appear that you have to make a 'rule'. What a hassle. Surely there is a more efficient way.
Mail: how to quickly block spam?
- Thread starter RobinS
- Start date
Clivey said:
I gets lots of important mail from unknown people.
I can't understand Apple not having a right click drop down menu - from the message that gives the following options:
Block any message from this Sender.
Block any message from this Domain.
Block any message with this Subject.
What could be simpler?
All in all, I find Mail a superb email program. And I notice on help boards and newsgroups, there are very few posts about Mail. Which means its intuitive, predictable and stable.
Yet the biggest challenge in email (spam) isn't addressed.
The world is a strange place. Especially the Mac World.
perfessor101
Registered
On my computer that list would have thousands or even tens of thousands of entries and that could easily result in blocking email I want. Many spam messages and most viruses spoof legitimate email addresses so I might wind up blocking my mother-in-laws email messages if her PC gets infected (hmmm? might not be too bad at that). In spite of their best efforts I still get a lot of spam and viruses that at least spoof AOL addresses, so would I want to block that domain? The number of subject lines used in spam and viruses is virtually infinite so that doesn't help all that much either.RobinS said:
It all sounds so simple, but it isn't. I have found Mails filter to be reasonably effective, but every time it learns a new pattern, the spammers figure a way around it. For example most of the viagra spam these days has a nonsense sender that is a one time throw away domain, a subject line devoid of vowels so there are no words to be recognized and the body of the message is HTML that downloads a graphic so there is no recognizable pattern there either.
The whitelist suggestion is probably the most effective, but it requires you to scan the junk folder almost every day, to prevent throwing away the message from a prospective employer telling you to report to work, because the HR department's email address was not on your whitelist.
If it were easy there would be no spam.
perfessor101 said:On my computer that list would have thousands or even tens of thousands of entries and that could easily result in blocking email I want.
Well I was talking about messages that come from easily blocked sources. And many are.
In spite of their best efforts I still get a lot of spam and viruses that at least spoof AOL addresses, so would I want to block that domain?
Actually if there was one domain that would be good to block, where there are more idiots than any other, that must be it.But of course you're not going to block a commonly used domain. I'm talking about reducing spam - not hoping to eliminate it.
The number of subject lines used in spam and viruses is virtually infinite so that doesn't help all that much either.
I don't understand "subject lines". Yes they can constantly modify their return address but if they don't you've deleted them. And many don't. Also, if they have all their messages coming from a .ssfes.com domain its probably pretty safe to block that domain. And if you're REALLY lucky, your mother inlaw will have picked that one as well due to their free offers which attracted the spammers and her in the first place.
It all sounds so simple, but it isn't. I have found Mails filter to be reasonably effective, but every time it learns a new pattern, the spammers figure a way around it. For example most of the viagra spam these days has a nonsense sender that is a one time throw away domain, a subject line devoid of vowels so there are no words to be recognized and the body of the message is HTML that downloads a graphic so there is no recognizable pattern there either.
Reduction - not elimination. I used to get over a hundred spam a day in my Yahoo box. Now I get only a couple. I can manage a couple. 100 I cannot manage.
I run a mail-order business. Unfortunately we have had to block AOL users from placing orders with us. Our ordering system relies on customers receiving our email replies and around 50% of AOL users were not. In the end it was less hassle to block them than to handle their continual complaints that "you didn't confirm my order/ you never replied to me".
Here's some advice on eliminating spam:
http://www.netcentral.co.uk/satcure/spam.htm
Here's some advice on eliminating spam:
http://www.netcentral.co.uk/satcure/spam.htm