Some unpleasant things in life are unavoidable, one of them being junk mail. However, there are some actions you can take that may help minimize junk mail and make your work with e-mail more enjoyable:
- Do not readily give away your e-mail address to web sites. Web sites often sell their contact lists, which causes you to start getting junk mail from sites you have never heard of. Of course, feel free to use your e-mail address when needed, but don't freely give it away. Also, consider using a different e-mail account, such as Hotmail or Yahoo! mail, for communications on the Internet. This will keep more junk mail out of your primary account.
- Use your browser's privacy settings (in Internet Explorer, click Tools | Internet Options, and then click the Privacy tab), which block a site's use of cookies in certain circumstances. This will help control a web site's access to your e-mail address.
- Use Outlook Express's blocking and rules features to manage junk mail.
- Don't respond to junk mail. Also, many junk e-mails contain a link saying “If you want to be removed from this list....” Don't click this link! This is actually used to find out if your e-mail address is real, and you will probably end up on more lists if you click the link. Do not respond to junk e-mail in any way.
- Check out some additional tips at www.slipstick.com/rules/junkmail.htm.
