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HOW DO THEY DO THAT?
Welcome to a new feature of the Technology webpage. This
page will attempt to answer some of the most common questions I hear about
various computer programs.
- Why do I get so much junk email?
- Most likely, you have used your email address somewhere
on the internet. Some websites are less scrupulous than others and
will sell (or give) away email addresses to their "partners." If your
email address is listed on any webpage, the spammers will find it and
send you junk mail sooner or later. Spam filters are often available
from your internet and/or email provider, and work wonders at sorting the
spam into a separate folder for you.
- Why does the message look like it came from my domain?
- Let's say your email address is
yourname@yourdomain.com.
Sometimes, you receive messages that look like they are from
SomebodyElse@yourdomain.com.
Forging the return address on an email is a simple task. When you set
up your email account on Outlook/Express or another email program, it asked
you for your email address. That is the address it uses as the "return
address." If you mis-type it, people will not be able to send you
responses. If you're a regular user, that is a bummer. But if you're a
spammer, it's a dream come true: now the owner of
yourdomain.com gets blamed for the spam you
sent!
- Okay, but can't that be prevented?
- Actually, not really. There are some workarounds,
but they have their own flaws. When email was first created, it
was assumed that a person would want to receive responses to their messages.
Now, email has become standardized using that model, and changing the system
would require a complete overhaul of all email servers.
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