CORNWALL FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY
5 Victoria Square, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 2RS  UK      
Telephone  01872 264044   overseas +44 1872 264044

Defeating junk mail and 'spam'.

One of the disadvantages of using email or visiting sites on the internet is the amount of unwanted junk mail that can arrive, and some of it can be unpleasant.  Many people are naturally concerned, so that they are reluctant to publish their email addresses.  This is why the Cornwall Family History Society does not list online the email addresses of members, unless the member has given their permission.

Spammers obtain e-mail addresses from many sources, and one of those sources is often published lists of address from various organisations. Using software tools similar to web crawlers, spammers examine web pages searching for text strings that look like e-mail addresses. That 'free' Web site you created to share pictures of your last vacation or your new baby probably has your e-mail address on it, right? And what about the news article you felt compelled to share with 10 close friends? Not only did you broadcast your own address, but you may have also unwittingly added your friends to a mailing list as well. If you want your e-mail address to be a secret, be careful with whom you share it. Be careful of your friends' addresses.  If you wish to send to a group, just address the message to yourself with all the other addresses in the bcc: section (blind copy).

When you do receive a spam message, never, ever respond to it in any way. Spammers sometimes use software programs to create random e-mail addresses. As soon as you click the 'Opt Out' link, your address gets moved from the 'unverified' list to the 'verified' list and will almost certainly be sold to other spammers. Opting out will probably get you more spam, not less.

We have written our website pages to avoid this risk. 

Sharon Symons
(Webscribe to CornwallFHS)