Freimuth Consulting Services

I've enjoyed InternetWeek.com's recent spam articles. But I've been a little surprised because ISPs that provide good anti-spam capabilities weren't listed by any readers.

Perhaps InternetWeek.com readers would be interested in what I've done, using only capabilities that are free through my ISP (AT&T Worldnet) to eliminate the downloading of spam, to prevent it from consuming bandwidth as well as the downstream consumption of my computer's resources, including disk space.

According to the AT&T Worldnet Service technicians with whom I've chatted, they'd never considered linking some of their configurable capabilities in the way I've done.

The concept is simple enough: Configure an ISP white-list so that only e-mails from those addresses are downloaded when my computer calls for new messages, and do it in such a way that I can review the messages that aren't downloaded in order to catch new "wants" and add them to the white-list. Here's what I've done:

• Step 1: Get a primary e-mail address from AT&T Worldnet Service. Mine is freimuth@att.net. This is the address to be given out publicly.
• Step 2: At Member Services, establish a second ("associate member") address. This address shouldn't be given out publicly.
• Step 3: Configure the primary address to forward all messages to the second address and save all messages.
• Step 4: For the second address, establish a white-list (called "parental control," for example); messages from these sources will be permitted to download.
• Step 5: Configure the home or office computer used to download e-mail messages to download from the second address, not the primary address. Only e-mail from addresses on the white-list will download at this time.
• Step 6: Regularly log on to the ISP e-mail service using the primary e-mail account log-on to check for wanted messages (because their addresses aren't white-listed yet), and to maintain the account by deleting all messages after checking them.
• Step 7: Manually forward to the second account any messages to be downloaded. These will now download if the white-list includes the primary account address.
• Step 8: Copy addresses to be added to the white-list as described above.
• Step 9: Delete all messages in the ISP inbox when you've completed checking.

The results I've achieved through this technique include:

• Virtually 100 percent elimination of spam.
• The ability to freely distribute my main e-mail address without worrying about it falling into a spammer's hands.
• Users can avoid maintaining a blacklist -- or filters -- such as for porn because this ISP has that already built in for subscribers.
• Avoids unnecessarily long download times for e-mail; only e-mail from white-listed sources is downloaded automatically.
• Users avoid consuming local computer resources that other filters and third-party software places on computer. It's free from the ISP with e-mail service. There's no added software to buy, install, or maintain.
• Users can catch wanted e-mails coming from those sources that haven't yet been white-listed.