Definition of electronic Spam
Spamming is the use of any electronic communications
medium to send unsolicited messages in bulk. While its definition is
usually limited to indiscriminate bulk mailing and not any targeted
marketing, the term "spam" can refer to any commercially oriented,
unsolicited bulk mailing perceived as being excessive and undesired.
In
the popular eye, the most common form of spam is that delivered in
e-mail as a form of commercial advertising. However, over the short
history of electronic media, people have done things comparable to
spamming for many purposes other than the commercial, and in many media
other than e-mail.
Spammers have developed a variety of spamming
techniques, which vary by media:
(source: Wikipedia)
Our
guidelines for avoiding electronic spam:
- Do
not respond to suspicious e-mails. A response only
confirms the accuracy of your email address, and may result in even
more messages filling up your Inbox.
- If you are suspicious, do not click on the link
asking to be taken off the sender's list. The senders often use that as
a ploy to confirm the recipient's address, resulting in even more
spammed email.
- Never submit your credit card details or other
personal information to non-secure Web sites (there should be a locked
padlock icon that appears in yellow, or in a yellow box, on the bottom
bar of the order form Web browser).
- Where possible, always use spam filtering or spam
blocking software.
- Do not send your email address through chat rooms,
unsecure instant message services or Internet bulletin boards and
newsgroups.
- Do not put your primary email address for online
registration or on e-commerce sites. Have another free email address to
use more publicly.
- Do not forward chain email. This special type of
email is considered spam. It is unsolicited, intrusive and may clog up
email servers and slow down Internet traffic.
|
