How to Avoid Spam (Part 2 of 10) - Don't sign up for email you don't want
Don't sign up for email you don't want
The reason most websites can be free is because they rely on advertising for revenue. Often, you're asked to provide personal information to access some content. Some sites use this for more advertising, and some sites use this information to sell to spammers or "legitimate" marketers. If you have to give them some information, don't give out your e-mail address. If you have to supply one, use a fake email address, a throw-away account, or a service to bypass compulsory site registration (see Part 1 of this article). Then uncheck the box that allows the company to send you special offers. That's what you're trying to avoid. Watch for the check boxes that ask if you want to be contacted by "select third parties" or "our business partners" Never ask for mail you don't want, and read the options carefully, some default to opt-out, some default to opt-in.
Don't sign up for chat rooms, user's groups, warantees, product registrations, mailing lists, newsletters, joke-of-the-day mailings, or anything else that requires your email address, even if they seem to be reliable businesses with good privacy policies. These policies can always change. Remember the Toysmart.com? Their privacy policy stated that personal information would never be shared with third parties. When they went backrupt, that information went up for auction. The FTC decided that anyone willing to buy the entire Toysmart Web site could have the information, as long as they were "family-oriented". Small consolation.
I have set up individual email accouts just for eBay and Amazon, among others, and so far I haven't received a single spam email on any of those. Some sites are very responsible, I would trust Kim Kommando when she says she'll never sell your email address to spammers, but I know for a fact that sites like eVite and Friendster and Classmates either aren't too careful with your email address or sell your address to spammers. Be aware that content you have to register for isn't free, you'll pay for it by sharing your personal information, losing your privacy, and spam spam spam spam lovely spam. And if you don't care about the spam, you shouldn't be reading this article.
See tomorrow's posting for Part 3 of How to Avoid Spam.
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The reason most websites can be free is because they rely on advertising for revenue. Often, you're asked to provide personal information to access some content. Some sites use this for more advertising, and some sites use this information to sell to spammers or "legitimate" marketers. If you have to give them some information, don't give out your e-mail address. If you have to supply one, use a fake email address, a throw-away account, or a service to bypass compulsory site registration (see Part 1 of this article). Then uncheck the box that allows the company to send you special offers. That's what you're trying to avoid. Watch for the check boxes that ask if you want to be contacted by "select third parties" or "our business partners" Never ask for mail you don't want, and read the options carefully, some default to opt-out, some default to opt-in.
Don't sign up for chat rooms, user's groups, warantees, product registrations, mailing lists, newsletters, joke-of-the-day mailings, or anything else that requires your email address, even if they seem to be reliable businesses with good privacy policies. These policies can always change. Remember the Toysmart.com? Their privacy policy stated that personal information would never be shared with third parties. When they went backrupt, that information went up for auction. The FTC decided that anyone willing to buy the entire Toysmart Web site could have the information, as long as they were "family-oriented". Small consolation.
I have set up individual email accouts just for eBay and Amazon, among others, and so far I haven't received a single spam email on any of those. Some sites are very responsible, I would trust Kim Kommando when she says she'll never sell your email address to spammers, but I know for a fact that sites like eVite and Friendster and Classmates either aren't too careful with your email address or sell your address to spammers. Be aware that content you have to register for isn't free, you'll pay for it by sharing your personal information, losing your privacy, and spam spam spam spam lovely spam. And if you don't care about the spam, you shouldn't be reading this article.
See tomorrow's posting for Part 3 of How to Avoid Spam.
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