Opt Out vs. Delete - Which One Gets You Less Spam?

We all get spam. In fact, spam accounts for as much as 83 percent of all email messages in the United States. So how do you keep your computer clean - do you report and delete unwanted spam, or do you unsubscribe or "opt-out"?

There are two camps. One says, 'Do not opt-out or reply to spam. Once you click the unsubscribe link, you'll get even more because you've just told the spammer that your email address is legitimate and active, and they will continue using and selling your email address."

The other camp says, "Go ahead and opt-out. Most email marketers are legitimate and will honor your unsubscribe request."

Is there absolute proof that one theory wins out over the other? Sorry, but no. No one has done a complete test of this because it's so difficult, if not impossible, to measure.

So here's what you do:

• Use your email program's spam filter and set up a special folder so spam will automatically be dumped into that folder, and not clog up your inbox.

• Report spam to your Internet Service Provider (ISP). They usually have guidelines for reporting spam on their website.

• Once you get spam, tell your email program to dump further emails from that sender's domain into your Junk folder. Check and delete items from your Junk folder periodically.

• If it looks like an email from a legitimate marketer, go ahead and opt-out. Most legitimate email marketers will put your subscription information in their emails - such as when you subscribed, what email address you used to subscribe, etc. Hopefully, that will trigger your memory if you actually did subscribe to their list. Never report a sender if you subscribed to their list.

• Put more effort into preventative measures, such as keeping your email address off public sites and forums. If you want to post your email address, do it so the spammers' tools can't find it so easily. For instance, post your email address like this: info (AT) 1CleanComputer (DOT) com. Spammers use automated software to search the Internet for email addresses, and posting it like the example above will help prevent them from harvesting your address.

• If spam still gets under your skin, you can always get a good spam filter, such as Cloudmark's SpamNet, which claims to block 98% of spam and phishing attempts from reaching your inbox with zero false positives, or Spam Arrest, which claims to block 100% of automated spam with no false positives. Both have free trials!

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