I hate Spam, you hate Spam, we all hate
Spam. I'm not talking about the canned meat product created during WWII
by the Hormel Company. That Spam was a miracle of food science -- perhaps
not your first choice of meat, but it was a lifesaver.
The Spam I'm talking about is the endless
text and image trash that forces its way into our e-mail in-boxes. In
fact, Spam now takes up more space on the Internet than any other type
of electronic transferred message. It's a malicious and malignant cancer
in the world of computing and it is killing the wonderful invention of
e-mail.
My company, Honor
Squadrons International, is inundated daily by over 100 Spam messages
for every 1 to 2 e-mail messages that are important to the business. Over
a weekend, about 300 Spam messages will clog my company and personal ISP
mail boxes, resulting in a significant loss of work time and wages on
Mondays, when my team and I wade through the verbal and visual vomit,
searching for messages that are important to us.
I believe that Spamers should be killed. I hate their line
of work, and despise their lack of respect for our time and decency (like
pornography that would make residents of Sodom and Gomorrah blush). Since
I can't kill them physically without going to jail (not my life goal),
I have to find a way to stop their harping and offensive messages and
images from impacting my business and private life.
Enter "I Hate Spam`" by Sunbelt Software. The
box cover of this excellent software shows a high-tech soldier, like those
in Heinlein's "Starship Troopers", carrying a huge weapon. He
is mean and wants to kill, -- Spam that is.
First, load "I Hate Spam" onto your Windows 98,
ME, NT, 2000 or XP controlled computer, which of course requires that
you use Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express to handle your e-mail accounts.
Second, follow the simple directions for selecting your "Friends"
and "Enemies" list, then just sit back and watch the product
search through your e-mail folders and begin to filter out new e-mail
coming to you.
"I Hate Spam" adds a menu bar to Outlook that
allows you to manage new e-mails, addresses and domains. I noticed between
a 90% to 98% decrease in Spam by the end of the second week. However,
every day produces a different result because Spamers are constantly changing
their identities.
There are a few things I don't like about "I Hate Spam":
1. The software noticeably slows down the speed of receiving
and sending new e-mails.
2. If you are typing an e-mail while an incoming e-mail
is being filtered, you'll hear an audible "boink", and you won't
be able to continue typing. You'll have to wait until the system decides
what to do with the new e-mail before you can continue (about a 5-second
delay). This may not be a big deal to individuals, but to a business that
receives a minimum of one Spam per minute, the delay can be frustrating.
Note: Sunbelt Software is aware of this problem and tells me they are
working on a solution that will be released in their next version (due
out in 2003).
3. Occasionally, the "I Hate Spam" menu bar fails
to load within Outlook, or drops out if you close and reopen Outlook during
a session. When this happens, your e-mail is not being filtered, requiring
you to close and restart Outlook again to regain the use of the Spam killer.
Sometimes you might even have to restart Windows. Sunbelt is aware of
this problem as well, and is trying to find a fix by the next release
version.
"I Hate Spam" is not perfect, but it is an absolute
must for any individual or business that is being buried by Spam. Sunbelt
has a fantastic yet flawed product. They are aware of its deficiencies
and are making changes to make "I Hate Spam" even better and
more reliable. Personally, I believe Microsoft should be forced at gunpoint
to adopt "I Hate Spam" as the official Anti-Spam system for
Outlook. Heck, they can even charge me a monthly fee to keep it updated,
just like my Symantec Norton Anti-virus software. I would gladly pay $1
to $2 a month to stay on the cutting edge of terminating Spam. Now if
only Sunbelt can find a way to Spam the Spammers, or at least melt their
servers. I'd pay $3 a month for that service, especially if the revenge
mode comes with a variety of battlefield sound effects and vengeful laughter.
"I Hate Spam" can be purchased at www.sunbelt-software.com
as a download, or shipped to you in a boxed version via snail mail, for
only $19.95. You can also call them toll free at 888-688-8457. Buy this
product! Period, end of story!
By day, Todd
Hewey is the Creator and Executive Producer for Honor Squadrons International
("HSI"), a 10-part, 10-hour High-Definition aviation series
premiering on PBS in 2006. For more information about Todd visit Reel Adventures Production at www.reeladventures.net
