Communal approach
This time, though, there's no illegality involved. The concept of SpamNet is simple: provide a system whereby e-mail users everywhere can band together to determine what is spam and what is not. The communal approach results in a huge database of known spammers, and the result is a program -- SpamNet -- that can potentially get rid of more spam than any other on the market today. The only catch is that presently SpamNet works solely with Microsoft's Outlook 2000, 2002, or XP e-mail program.
Here's how it works: You download SpamNet, which is free. SpamNet sets up a spam folder in Outlook and installs Block and Unblock buttons. The program automatically checks mail against the SpamNet database of known spam messages. Spam gets shoveled automatically into the spam folder.
If any spam gets through the initial filtering process, you simply highlight the message and click the Block button. If other users also identify that same message as spam, SpamNet will automatically prevent the e-mail from reaching others, instead redirecting it to their spam folders.
If, as with other anti-spam programs, SpamNet erroneously identifies a legitimate e-mail message as spam, you're free to retrieve it from the spam folder. Simply highlight the message, click Unblock, and it is moved automatically to your inbox. The program, however, is amazingly effective, and soon you'll probably be checking your spam folder much less often.
When you finally see your inbox free of spam, you may once again see e-mail as the useful tool it used to be.
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