mainsleazespam.com: Advice for End Users.

Advice for Non-Techie, Non-Geek, Average End User Types

[As we respectfully refer to our customers.]

In the wake of the "You CAN-SPAM Act" going into effect, sites started showing up claiming for a fee to remove or unsubscribe addresses from spammers lists.
         Don't Fall for New 'Don't Spam' Scam
         Scam Alert: Beware the ‘Do Not E-mail Registry’ scam
         FTC Says Site Is Scam: There Is No "National Do Not E-mail Registry"
         iCANSPAM. Promises to help spammers be iCANSPAM compliant?

You Should NEVER Respond to REMOVE or UNSUBSCRIBE Links.
Another Example of why "You CAN SPAM" is Really Bad Legislation.

    From http://www.pcmag.com. February 18, 2004.
    The CAN-SPAM (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing) act recently became law in the United States, and with just a little over a month of it under our belts, people are already passing judgment on this broad and, some might say, groundbreaking law.
    ... the unsubscribe links are typically dead or invalid. The suggestion that a spam recipient would open the spam mail, let alone click on a link within it, makes some industry veterans apoplectic. "The idea of opening [spam mail]," MessageLabs CEO Mark Sunner told me, "flies in the face of everything we say… that e-mail could be a virus!" Like SurfControl, MessageLabs blocks spam mail for hundreds of corporate clients; they also capture virus-laden messages.
         Spam: A Reality Check

    [Ed. Note: The second paragraph quoted from pcmag.com above is critical for understanding how bad the "You CAN SPAM Act" is. NEVER, never, never click on or reply to a REMOVE or UNSUBSCRIBE link or email in a spam. You only confirm for the spammer your address is real, and you will receive more spam, because the spammers will sell and share your address. But as the author above points out, it is ludicrously dangerous to even open much spam in the first place; to then click on a URL and trust a web site run by a criminal spammer just asks to be compromised by a virus, worm, or trojan in the email or from the web site.]

For Those New to the Anti-Spam Battle and Trying to Get a Handle on It.
The classic NEWBIE PRIMER at stop-spam.org is recommended, with topics as follows:
    What Is Spam?
    Why Is Spam So Annoying?
    What About Targeted Advertising?
    Is It Ever Okay To Advertise By E-Mail?
    A Word About "Opt-In" Offers
    But Isn't Spam Just Exercising Freedom of Speech?
    Isn't Spam Good For Small Business?
    How Can A Small Business Advertise If It Is Not Allowed To Spam?
    What Can I Do About Spam?
    Other Helpful References
         THE NEWBIE PRIMER. General Info On How NOT To Advertise
    [Ed. Note: For end users and non-techies who need a place to start reading and understanding the history, scope, and depth of the spam email problem, this is a good place to start.