Stop Spam Here – Combat Spam, Spyware and Phishing is a web site that grew out of the Task Force on Spam who released a report in 2005 that includes recommendations like:
10. … the federal government should lead in establishing a Canadian spam database (i.e. the “Spam Freezer”).
15. As part of its ongoing effort to increase user awareness and education, the federal government, in cooperation with interested stakeholders, should continue to promote the “Stop Spam Here / Arr?™tez le pourriel ici” user-tips campaign by encouraging others to link to these websites, and through the use of other appropriate methods and media. (Executive Summary)
The report says that spam has hit a ratio of 80% of global e-mail and there seems to be nothing we can do about. The Stop Spam Here web site suggests three tips to protect yourself:
- Protect your computer with virus scanning software and a firewall.
- Protect your email address and use expendable addresses.
- Don’t respond to spam.
The first and third don’t seem likely to make much of a difference. The second option is a form of giving up – it accepts that we have to keep multiple addresses and manage them. The alternative is to stop using e-mail and switch to a secure environment like Facebook where only friends can message you. Is it surprising that youth are not using e-mail the way we do?