email spam blocking

[Jeff Wexler]

I am trying out the Bluebottle.com online email system just to see how well it works. Using it now only on one of my less used email accounts. For those who don't know about Bluebottle (and there are other services that do the same) works on a challenge - response procedure. This method definitiely works, no two ways about it, but it does put up an obstacle (isn't that the point) to all those who wish to send you email, including those from whom you wish to receive the email. When you send an email to any of the protected addresses, the system sends out a verification notice to the sender's email where they need to verify themselves (via a link through your web browser) and then your email goes through.

My question to our group here: if you have had experience with this sort of procedure, as a sender how much do you dislike having to do this 2nd step for your email to go through? All of these services provide for a white list, or trusted people list, but often any given sender will have to be verified, at least the first time.

I am just curious what everyone's reaction is to this type of procedure.

Regards,  Jeff Wexler

[cmgoodin]

My question to our group here: if you have had experience with this sort of procedure, as a sender how much do you dislike having to do this 2nd step for your email to go through? All of these services provide for a white list, or trusted people list, but often any given sender will have to be verified, at least the first time.

I am just curious what everyone's reaction is to this type of procedure.

Regards,  Jeff Wexler

I HATE people who use these challenge email system. It causes all the people you want to respond to have to respond Twice. And sometimes you don't get the reply email that says you have to send the message again because your email spam filter has filtered out the automated response from the auto-reply bot..... 

These systems are problematic for me because I deal with my email daily on 2 to 3 different computers.  So I may have written a long response to someone on one computer then I don't get the "you need to reply again" message until I am home or on another computer and don't have access to my original response.  So I just don't respond.. rather than having to recall what I said and re-type it.

Just check with your ISP. Most have Heavy duty server side Spam filtering these days that eliminates 95 % of all the spam before it gets to my inbox.   SBC Yahoo catches a lot.  After I turned on their spam filters, My typical inbox went from 150 to 250 messages a day to 5 to 10.  I can easily deal with the small amount of spam that leaks through.  And Once a week I scan the Bulk mail folder where it all goes to look for any real messages that got misclassified as spam.

---Courtney

[Jeff Wexler]

I HATE people who use these challenge email system.

I can easily deal with the small amount of spam that leaks through.  And Once a week I scan the Bulk mail folder where it all goes to look for any real messages that got misclassified as spam.

---Courtney

Thanks for the response. I hate it too and I was already pretty sure that I didn't want to put other people through it also. The way this one works it is fairly simple, however, and if the person is already on the whitelist it all goes through without any hitch --- no need to respond twice or anything.

I have to say that I'm being a bit of a baby on all of this in that the server side filtering and local filtering I do with on the client side is very effective. When you mentioned the 250 or so messages, that is excessive and something to worry about. As it is now, I maybe get 2 or 3 spam messages every day at the very most. I guess I shouldn't really worry about it. When my main email was my dot mac address (jwsound@mac.com) I had ZERO spam, but when I went to my own domain email address (and it was available at various public websites) things got a little worse.

Regards,  Jeff Wexler

[cmgoodin]

Jeff,

One problem when you have your own domain is spam-bots using your publicly published response address as a return address on bogus Spam email.  These spam-bots harvest addresses from public web pages and sometimes just change the primary address keeping the domain name to use in the "From" field of the spam.  If you are using a "Catchall' address this can be problematic with all email that is not deliverable from these spambots "Returning" to your email address through the Catch-all address.  My problems come from the fact that I have some email addresses that have been publicly posted on my websites for over 15 years.  So they are pretty much on every-ones spam list.  But the server side spam filters that use heuristic filters to determine if it is spam does a pretty good job.  They do things like check returned emails and check to see if the email being returned was actually sent from the ip of the "return to" address.

---Courtney

[Phil Palmer]

I HATE people who use these challenge email system. It causes all the people you want to respond to have to respond Twice. And sometimes you don't get the reply email that says you have to send the message again because your email spam filter has filtered out the automated response from the auto-reply bot..... 

I'm with you guys on this, I hate it. The challenge system is effective, to the point of eliminating both spam and genuine wanted and sometimes needed email.  Earthlink has this as an option with their POP service, and it has effectively kept me from any contact with several people.  Don't like it...

PWP

[tourtelot]

Let's say you are a hard working motion picture producer, very interested in hiring Soundman Sam for you next picture.  You email Sam to ask about his resume and availability and get back a message suggesting that Sam isn't interested in speaking with you unless you tell him "who you think you are."

I can't even get these guys to return my calls to my 800 number.  Good luck with the call and response.

D.

[Jeff Wexler]

Thanks to all who responded --- my instincts and personal feelings were that this is a very bad idea. My only experience so far was with friends who used this challenge - response system through Earthlink account --- I REALLY HATED the extra step or steps to deliver my email.

So, it's a no go for me and I will just continue with effective spam filtering, server and client side, and live with the spam (and it really isn't a lot) messages that get through.

Thank you again for your input and guidance.

Regards,  Jeff Wexler