Posting email addresses on SSW

LAST EDITED ON Dec-17-05 AT 10:28 AM (CST) by Leonard Neumann (admin)
 
All;

One of the great benefits of the electronic medium is the rapid exchange of large quantities of information. I can not imagine anyone who has participated here who hasn't learned.

Regrettably, there is always that part of all societies that turns something good into something bad for their twisted amusement or profit. There are those who have written programs and scripts that scan through the millions of web sites out there looking for email addresses. These email addresses are then compiled into a database and sold or given to spammers. The result is now over 60% of all email is spam.

I believe it would be a good idea if we exchanged email addresses through the private mail system available here on SSW rather than posting them openly on the forum. It is a minor inconvenience and courtesy that may prevent some of our fellow modelers from experiencing the joy of the hundreds of emails I sift through daily offering everything from cut rate mortgages to pornography.

V/r

I guess I'm lucky in that my ISP has a fantastic spam filter included in the price of their service. I used to get a horrendous number of spam emails each day. Than number has gone down to almost zero.

Bob, I'd be happy to consider this, but assume it would mean changing my address?
Eggy - who is your ISP? (Come to that - what is an ISP? - ).

Ian R.

You can also camouflage and email address to foil sifting programs: joe-at-joe.net

That can work and it's obvious to anyone reading it what to change to make it work. But overall, I agree with the idea of just using private email.

"I blow the mesquite--
right up off the sand, I'm a
TreeTopFlyer"

>Bob, I'd be happy to consider this, but assume it would mean
>changing my address?
>Eggy - who is your ISP? (Come to that - what is an ISP? -
>>things]).

No, not at all. Just use the "private mail" icon located in the upper right hand corner of the message. It is the icon that looks like a yellow piece of paper with a few lines on it and three wavy lines to the left of it. The next time the person who you sent it to logs onto the system, they will see a message in the upper left part of the screen telling them they have private mail. They can then read the message.

In fact, I will send you one....

V/r

Bob Kruger

>Eggy - who is your ISP? (Come to that - what is an ISP? -

My ISP is MTS (Manitoba Telephone System), which is only available locally. I might add that they also include Zone Alarm Security Suite as part of the high speed internet service. I'm a happy camper in that regard.

LAST EDITED ON Dec-13-05 AT 06:08 PM (CST)
 
I agree with the other posts - - When someone posts a request for personal email, phone#, or something, I'll email the info (if I have it); I won't post it publicly.

FWIW - - ISP = Intenet Service Provider

And NONE of them are truly secure. If you're concerned about system security, you need a Router (even if you have only one computer) and a good software firewall (I recommend ZoneAlarm, but please get SOMETHING!). Nobody stops SPAM , although some separate it from your regular email pretty well.

We have 6 computers on-line at home, and they're all up 24/7 (well, except during crashes) and we haven't had a virus or Trojan Horse infiltration in many years (which doesn't mean that something new can't happen next week)! Had many more problems with having to reload !$@#%#$% Windows and all the application software!

Good email providers are www.yahoo.com and www.google.com - It can be difficult to get a Google (gmail) account. I won't recommend Hotmail, simply because it a Microsoft product and they don't appear to know Jack Schitt about security!

Well, I've rambled on for quite long enough . . .

I have individual email accounts for each member of my family - and warned them NOT to register for "deals" on the Internet. I have two email accounts - one for my main use and one I use strictly for ecommerce.

I get 20% of the amount of spam my family members get. I finally had to set up a rule which filters out anything not sent to them directly so the spammers who disguise their bunk in lists are gonners.

More annoying than the spam I get are all the forwarded offers from "friends" and relatives making sure everyone they know is alerted to a new and deadly virus which was just announced or that we all have free trips to Disneyland.

As a follow up, your e-mail address is safe when listed in your file here on the forum. Only those who are registered users can see this information, so the spybots cannot get to it. And I filter people who register on the forum and if they do not give their name, they are out of here. I have had a couple of people lately who again tried to "play games" by not giving their name when registering. I sent them an e-mail and deleted their account.

This is one of the reasons we require all of you to have your names visible. And then your e-mail is available to registered users only.

LAST EDITED ON Dec-13-05 AT 09:18 PM (CST)
 
I have the highest regard for this site. It's my "laughin-place"!
The time it must take Leonard and Bob is unimaginable.
Their efforts have introduced me to all you fine gentlemen that have sent me plans, parts, ideas, and solutions to problems that previouly would have taken me to task!
I have never had an 'E'-problem that they couldn't (or wouldn't) help me through.
Thanks again for this splendid place.

LAST EDITED ON Dec-13-05 AT 11:27 PM (CST)
 
>As a follow up, your e-mail address is safe when listed in
>your file here on the forum. Only those who are registered
>users can see this information, so the spybots cannot get to
>it. And I filter people who register on the forum and if
>they do not give their name, they are out of here. I have
>had a couple of people lately who again tried to "play
>games" by not giving their name when registering. I sent
>them an e-mail and deleted their account.
>
>This is one of the reasons we require all of you to have
>your names visible. And then your e-mail is available to
>registered users only.

Len is absolutely correct. Unless someone hacks the site and spends an inordinate amount of time searching through records, they can't get to your email addresses stored by the system software. Most of the email search and vacuum programs, e.g. "spybots" don't bother with that. With literally millions of sites to go through, they either get the quick fix or they bolt.

The only way an email address can be easilly compromised is if someone just posts it here in a message. Now, posting email addresses been done commonly and often in the past - and for all the right reasons. That is by no means, and I mean NO MEANS, a reflection on the person who posted it. Being helpful is not wrong. The wrongdoing is on the part of those who collect email addresses and use them in a manner that they were never intended.

That's why I brought up the subject here. People on SSW are helpful beyond compare. Politics aside, you folks are great. Show me another like minded group to include competitors where you can pose a question and get an answer back from a current or former national or world champion or any other user that is detailed and well written, and I'll plead my mea culpas. When it comes to technical issues, we not only all pitch in, but respect each other's methods in a manner that to this day amazes me. We just all need to be wary of what evil doers can get off this and other web sites, and what we can do to continue to remain helpful and at the same time be secure.

So, all I am asking is the next time someone asks "Hey - does anyone know the email address for Joebagofdoughtnuts in Topeka", and you know it, just let them know "Got it - check your Private Mail." Please, don't hide the info - just send it to them in a manner that prevents the spybots from ruining another email account.

We can beat the clowns who spam us to death. We just have to know how. And it should not interfere with the remarkably free flow of information and help that I have seen here time and time again over the past five years.

V/r

I figure that insiders at internet providers have been selling e-mail lists since DAY 1. Further security is futile. Sort of like safeguarding Social Security Numbers after they were used pubicly for 50 years.

A few more posting on SSW won't change anything.

Bob's posting is right on the money about spammers. Having your email address openly posted can invite bad kharma.

One essential thing to know about spam is that you should never reply to spam. They try to entice you with requests like 'If you want to be removed from our mailing list simply send an email with the word 'cancel' in it.

Email list sellers need to keep their lists up to date by finding out which addresses on their lists are still active. When you respond to a spam you are only telling their computer that your email address is still active, so they'll keep you on their list.

Cheers...

I just got this piece of @#$% :

Dear Sir/Madam,

we have logged your IP-address on more than 30 illegal Websites.

Important:
Please answer our questions!
The list of questions are attached.

Yours faithfully,
Steven Allison

*** Federal Bureau of Investigation -FBI-
*** 935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Room 3220
*** Washington, DC 20535
*** phone: (202) 324-3000

The address & phone# are incorrect; and my filters reported that it contained "one or more" copies of the "W32.Sober" virus. And I don't believe I visit "illegal Websites", anyhow!

LAST EDITED ON Dec-15-05 AT 05:08 PM (CST)
 
Ralph,

Are you saying that I no longer have to keep my visiting this site a secret from the local authorities?

LAST EDITED ON Dec-16-05 AT 07:57 PM (CST)
 
I think some day everyones computer will have a code number sorta like a cable TV receiver. Nothing passes through the cable box unless the cable company sends the code number to let the information in. If your computer has a code number then only the people with the code number could send you email the spam would all be blocked.

About 5 years ago I was getting a lot of spam email that said to call a certain 800 phone number. I was happy to do as they ask I used my WAR dialer set it to call non stop all night when I was asleep and all day long when I was at work. About a week later I got an letter from the phone company telling me to stop calling the 800 number if I didn't my service would be suspended. Geeeees.... why is it they can spam me but I can not spam them???