Bigbuck's Mum & Spam

[bigbuck]

Hey all,
Mum's nearly 70 and not real au fait with computers, but she plugs away with a little surfing and emailing on her old 98se box. Now she has just started getting a bit of spam....only 3 or 4 a day....no attachments....just pharmaceutical stuff at present. She has a pop3 email a/c and uses OE.
Can anyone suggest a simple (and I mean really simple) spam filter app that she might be able to get and configure herself? (I'm 700km away!).
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Brad.

[nadirah]

Hey bucky, give your mum Mailwasher PRO from : http://www.mailwasher.net/


Works with POP3, IMAP, AOL and Hotmail/MSN
Windows 95, 98, NT 4, ME, 2000 or XP
I haven't used Mailwasher pro myself, give it a try and see what you think.


Those spammers are really sickening.

[dog]

Hey Buckaroo, ;)

You could try Spamihilator (freeware) - http://www.spamihilator.com/ - For windows 95 and up - lots of info on the Homepage. ;)

I haven't ever tried it, but it's recommended by Emsisoft - the creators of A Squared / Anti-Trojan. You can also DL it from them - http://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/download/

HTH,

Steve

[bigbuck]

Thanks mate....I've been looking through old threads, and there's heaps of apps, but she will need something super simple to run....and I won't be much help at walking her through it, because I'm on XP (and I don't get spam!...er....touch wood!) I'll have a look now, thanks.
Brad.

[Eldar]

Or you could take a look at K9 (http://keir.net/k9.html).
It's a really effective Bayesian filter and learns really quick, besides it's free too. ;)

[bigbuck]

-{ Quote: "Or you could take a look at K9 (http://keir.net/k9.html).
It's a really effective Bayesian filter and learns really quick, besides it's free too. ;)" }-Thanks Eric, I'll take a look.

[Blackspear]

Even easier is to set up a Hotmail account and then have it set to exclusive, so that only addresses in her contact list get through, everything else goes to junk (many options available there as well).

If she wants this can then be brought in through Outlook Express.

Hope this helps...

Cheers ;D

[claire]

Hi,

she could give a try to Frontgate.really easy to use and confugurate


http://www.presorium.com/index.shtml


Have a great day :)

[bigbuck]

Thanks very much BS and Claire!
Cheers,
Brad.

[no13]

buck.

bayesian filters are 98% accurate.... are dynamic and learn what's spam for you.... work with basic Maths [101 courses ;D]
Edit ::: I mean that "Bayes' theorem" is the wroking priciple of these bayesian Filters
ya just can't go wrong with them.

I'd have more examples... but I use gmail... if your mum needs an invite... I have a couple still with me :)
Edit ::: gmail has THE best spam filters around and is terrifyingly fast. that's why i mention it.

regards.
you know who ;)

[bigbuck]

-{ Quote: "buck.

bayesian filters are 98% accurate.... are dynamic and learn what's spam for you.... work with basic Maths [101 courses ;D]

ya just can't go wrong with them.

I'd have more examples... but I use gmail... if your mum needs an invite... I ahve a couple still with me :)

regards.
you know who ;)" }-Thanks, I've got a heap of gmail invites too, but she would probably not want to change. You can't teach an old Mum new tricks! ;D
I'll have a look at a few of the suggested filters....just need something real simple for her!
Cheers.

[no13]

-{ Quote: "Thanks, I've got a heap of gmail invites too, but she would probably not want to change. You can't teach an old Mum new tricks! ;D
I'll have a look at a few of the suggested filters....just need something real simple for her!
Cheers." }-
Bayesian filtering then.
fast. easy. no user intervention [unless I'm mistaken]
see edits above too!

[Eldar]

-{ Quote: "Bayesian filtering then.
fast. easy. no user intervention [unless I'm mistaken]
see edits above too!" }-Easy yes, but you still have to learn it what's good and what's Spam. After a while there's almost no user intervention needed, only when Spam is accepted as good. :)
It's the learning process which needs user intervention. ;)

[bigbuck]

Thanks guys!

[Atomas31]

Hi Bigbuck,

You could also try Edovia anti-spam at http://www.edovia.com

It is very easy to use and it integrates itself directly in Outlook Express.



Atomas31

[Alec]

I've heard good things about Cloudmark (http://www.cloudmark.com/products/safetybar/oe/). And it has received several recent awards. But I don't personally use it, so I can't really vouch for it.

[bigbuck]

-{ Quote: "Hi Bigbuck,

You could also try Edovia anti-spam at http://www.edovia.com

It is very easy to use and it integrates itself directly in Outlook Express.



Atomas31" }-Thanks mate! ;D

[Atomas31]

-{ Quote: "Thanks mate! ;D" }-

You quiet welcome buddy :)

[hollywoodpc]

I second what Blackie said . One time setup and done . Good luck

[bigbuck]

Thanks Alec and Hollywood! ;)

[Alec]

Np, bigbuck. :)

There might be one small problem with the Blackspear / Hotmail solution, though. I think that I heard that Hotmail stopped supporting POP3/SMTP on the free accounts. I think you have to upgrade to one of the paid Hotmail accounts to access it through OE, but I'm not completely sure. Of course, that Cloudmark product I have heard about also requires a fee as well... so you may want to go with one of the free alternatives. :-\

[bigbuck]

-{ Quote: "Np, bigbuck. :)

There might be one small problem with the Blackspear / Hotmail solution, though. I think that I heard that Hotmail stopped supporting POP3/SMTP on the free accounts. I think you have to upgrade to one of the paid Hotmail accounts to access it through OE, but I'm not completely sure. Of course, that Cloudmark product I have heard about also requires a fee as well... so you may want to go with one of the free alternatives. :-\" }-Cheers!

[Blackspear]

-{ Quote: "I think that I heard that Hotmail stopped supporting POP3/SMTP on the free accounts." }-Not correct, I'm using it currently at home...

It is a very simple and effect solution, Hotmail splits your mail into Inbox and Junk.

Cheers ;D

[Peaches4U]

Hi Brad - I do not use special software and only use mail rules in Outlook Express to control spam. The following are some tips that may prove helpful.

TWO SNEAKY MESSAGE-RULE TRICKS.

* CREATE A SPAM FILTER: When a spammer sends junk email, he usually puts
your address on the "bcc" [blind carbon copy] line, to prevent you from
seeing who else received the message. This characteristic makes it easy to
screen out such mail, and create a message rule that looks for messages
where the "To" or "CC" line contains your address - and files them into the
Inbox as usual.

But then create another message rule for "For All Messages" that puts
messages into a folder that you have created - called for example, "possible
spam". Because the 2nd rule does not kick in until after the first one has
done its duty, the second rule only affects messages in which your name
appeared on the "bcc" line [which is almost always spam]. Once a week, it
is wise to look through the possible spam folder in case a legitimate
message found it's way there.

SETTING UP MESSAGE RULES:

1. Choose TOOLS then MESSAGE RULES, then MAIL.

2. Use the top options to specify how OE should select messages to process.
Example, if you would like OE to watch out for messages from a particular
person, you would choose "Where the From line contains people".

To flag messages containing specific words and so on, choose, "Where the
subject line contains specific words".

If you turn on more than one checkbox, you can set up another condition for
your message rule. Example, you can set up the first criterion to find
messages from your uncle, and a second one that watches for subject lines
that contain "humor". Now, only jokes sent by your uncle will get placed in
say, "deleted items".

If you have set up more than one criterion, you will see the underlined word
and at the bottom of the dialog box. It indicates that the message rule
should apply only to all of if conditions are true. Click the and to
produce a little dialog box, where you have the opt8ion to apply the rule if
any of the conditions are met.

3. Using the second set of checkboxes, specify what you want to happen to
messages that match the criteria. If in step 2 you told your rule to watch
for junk mail containing $$$ in the subject line, here is where you can tell
OE to delete or move the message into say a "spam folder".

With a little imagination, you will see how these checkboxes can perform
absolutely amazing functions with your incoming mail. OE can delete, move
or print messages, forward or redirect them to somebody automatically reply
to certain messages, and even avoid downloading files bigger than a certain
number of kilobytes [ideal for laptop lovers on slow hotel room
connections].

4. Specify which words or people you want the message rule to watch out
for. In the bottom of the dialog box, you can click any of the underlined
phrases to specify which people, which specific words, which file size you
want OE to watch out for - person's name, or XXX in the previous examples.

If you click contains people for example, a dialog box appears in which you
can access your address book to select certain individuals whose messages
you want handled by this rule.

If you click contains specific words you can type in the words you want a
certain rule to watch out for [in the subject line, for example] and so on.

5. In the very bottom text box, name your mail rule. Click OK.

Now the message rules dialog box appears. Here you can manage the rules you have created, choose a sequence for them [those at the top get applied
first], and apply them to existing messages by clicking APPLY NOW.

TIP: OE applies rules as they appear - from top to bottom in the message
rules window. If a rule does not seem to be working properly, it may be
that an earlier rule is intercepting and processing the message before the
"broken" rule even sees it. To fix this, try moving the rule up or down in
the list by selecting it and then clicking the MOVE UP or MOVE DOWN buttons.

[se7engreen]

-{ Quote: "Quote:
Originally Posted by Alec
I think that I heard that Hotmail stopped supporting POP3/SMTP on the free accounts.

Not correct, I'm using it currently at home..." }-

I think M$ now charges for POP3 support with new hotmail users, existing users are "grandfathered in" in a sense.

[Alec]

-{ Quote: "Not correct, I'm using it currently at home...

It is a very simple and effect solution, Hotmail splits your mail into Inbox and Junk." }--{ Quote: "I think M$ now charges for POP3 support with new hotmail users, existing users are "grandfathered in" in a sense." }-Cool, thanks for the info guys. I just had remembered reading that the support was being discontinued, but I didn't have any actual experience with Hotmail's policy. :)

[Blackspear]

-{ Quote: "I think M$ now charges for POP3 support with new hotmail users, existing users are "grandfathered in" in a sense." }-They might now charge for support in installing it or using it, that I don't know, as I have never needed to call them about setting it up or using it. Outlook Express auto-detects the settings when you type in your username@hotmail.com and Outlook has Http account as one of the many it can handle, again this auto-detects the settings when you type in your username@hotmail.com

So I still can't see that they have changed anything in relation to setting up OE or Outlook with a Hotmail account.

Cheers ;D

[Peaches4U]

Okay guys & gals I am a hotmail free member - here is the scoop straight from the horse's mouth:

"Dear MSN Member,

Recently, Hotmail® announced that in order to improve customer experience and reduce spam and junk e-mail abuse on MSN® services, Hotmail will no longer allow new e-mail accounts to be accessed via Microsoft® Office Outlook® and Outlook Express.

We are pleased to inform you that because you are an existing and valued customer, at this time your current Hotmail and MSN account(s) are exempt from this restriction and you will be able to continue enjoying access to those accounts from Outlook or Outlook Express. However, any new Hotmail or MSN accounts you create will not be accessible via Outlook or Outlook Express.

Because you actively use Outlook or Outlook Express to access one or more of your MSN Hotmail or MSN e-mail accounts, this could be the ideal time to consider subscribing to our powerful new e-mail service - Microsoft Office Outlook Live.

As an Outlook Live subscriber, not only can you get uninterrupted access to your MSN e-mail accounts from Outlook, but you will also enjoy many other benefits.

As a thank-you for your loyalty to MSN, we'd like to offer you a 25% discount off the regular price of a year's subscription to Outlook Live. Sign up by April 19, 2005, and you can enjoy all your first year's benefits for just CDN$55.95 instead of CDN$74.95*. "

[Blackspear]

-{ Quote: "Sign up by April 19, 2005, and you can enjoy all your first year's benefits for just CDN$55.95 instead of CDN$74.95*. "" }-Are they kidding, who's going to pay that? ? ?

[Peaches4U]

-{ Quote: "Are they kidding, who's going to pay that? ? ?" }-

My thoughts too!! Since I am grandfathered, why would I even consider paying. Oh well, it takes all kinds!! :o