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Dealing with Spam (tSpark Email Clients)

A resource for tSpark hosting clients.

What is spam?
Why do I get so much spam?
How can tSpark help me control spam?
How does the word [SPAM] help me if I still get the email?
** How do I set up a filter for the [SPAM] messages?
Why don't you automatically filter spam to a folder for me?
What do I do if the tSpark servers identify a message as spam that IS NOT spam?
What do I do if I receive spam that was not identified as [SPAM]?
How do I stop e-mails from a certain person from being identified as spam?
I have more questions about this. Who do I contact?

What is spam?

Spam is unsolicited "junk" email sent to large numbers of people to promote products or services. In many cases, the services and products are illegal, or the message is a trick to obtain your personal information. It is the equivalent of receiving junk mail in your postal service mail box.

Why do I get so much Spam?

There are a variety of reasons, but the most common ones are:

Your address was listed on a Web page or other publicly available electronic resources (such as a company directory), and spam software "harvested" (collected) it.
You submitted your email address on a Web form or website that sold your address to a company that sends spam.
You have a simple/common email name, such as [email protected], and some spam companies simply send to every common name under a specific domain.

How can tSpark help me control spam?

tSpark uses an advanced spam filter that learns the characteristics of spam and real email over time and puts messages into the appropriate categories. When a message is identified as spam, our email program puts the following text in front of the subject line: [SPAM].

How does the word [SPAM] help me if I still get the email?

Based on the phrase "[SPAM]", you can set up a filter in your email program to move all messages identified as spam to a separate folder (or automatically delete them).

How do I set up a filter for the [SPAM] messages?

Even for novice email users, setting up a filter should be fairly easy. If you use our Web mail program, follow these instructions. If you use a desktop mail program, such as Outlook, Outlook Express, Thunderbird, Eudora, Apple Mail, Entourage, Netscape mail, or Goldmine, follow these instructions.

Why don't you automatically filter spam to a folder for me?

Our clients check their email in a variety of ways. Some people do not use our Web mail system, and therefore would never log in to review their spam folder. Tagging the [SPAM] text on the subject line gives control to our users. If you want to set up a filter in Web mail, you can. If you don't want a filter, you don't need to have one. Some people get so little spam that it is not worth dealing with a filter, while others have 90% of their messages come through as spam.

What do I do if the tSpark servers identify a message as spam that IS NOT spam?

If you see the [SPAM] identifier show up on a message that is not spam, you should forward the message to [email protected]. That will add the message to our "safe" list and our system will learn the characteristics of the message so that it will not identify similar messages in the future.

What do I do if I receive spam that was not identified as [SPAM]?

Spammers (people who send spam) are always finding ways to get around the systems that detect spam. You can help us keep up with their new methods. If you receive a spam message that was not marked as [SPAM], forward it to [email protected]. Our programs will read the characteristics and learn to identify similar messages in the future.

Sometimes a message from a friend or business acquaintance is identified as [SPAM]. How can I stop that from happening?

You can use our "white listing" feature. Adding a person to the white list ensures that no message from that person will ever be identified as spam. Every person that you send an email to is automatically added to the white list. To add someone to our white list without sending them a message, send a blank message from your email account to [email protected] and put your friend's/acquaintance's email address in the CC line of the message. Every email address listed in the CC line will get added to the white list. You can list as many addresses as you wish in the CC line.

I have more questions about this. Who do I contact?

Customer Care