My email inbox is typically consumed by the latest and greatest “INVENTION!” and the extra-annoying “LOSE WEIGHT in 32 DAYS without EATING”.
The ratio of spam versus “real” emails amounts to the following:
6 “real emails” : 150 spam emails
I figured that I would either remove myself from this planet and find one without forced advertising methods or face the reality that this is how the Internet works, including emailing.
To solve this problem I recently downloaded Mailwasher, a nifty little program that rests in the taskbar and checks the email on your server (before it’s been downloaded to your computer).
At this point using hueristic methods, Mailwasher checks the incoming messages and marks them ‘Possible Spam’, ‘Spam’, or ‘Virus’. You then have the option of deleting the email, bouncing the email to the original sender or blacklisting the sender.
After playing with the program for a bit I’ve cut down on the amounts of spam that I would get on a daily basis — tremendously. It’s like coming out from under the deep end and breathing a breath of fresh air.
Well, minus the moody swim teacher and the plastic colored rings.
