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	Issue TOC Print full article Print this page Download as PDF E-Mail this URL Flame the author     In this article Introduction And Now for Something Completely Different Executive Summary The Law of the Spam A Day In the Life of an E-mail Administrator

Our NWC editors list was recently forwarded a reader query: "What I want to know is where to report spam when it hits ... particularly porn. I've been getting bombarded with unwanted e-mail with horrid content. The senders use a random number in their e-mail address, so I can't block the addresses they use. How do you deal with something like this?"

A number of our editors weighed in. Some responses aren't fit to print in a family publication. Others recommended SpamCop.net, asking his ISP for help, SpamCon and the FBI. But the overriding message was: We feel your pain.

Network Computing has pretty good success in blocking spam. We advocate a three-pronged approach: Rules, blacklists and filtering software. Still, about 50 junk messages per user per day slip through the cracks. And given the truly frightening spam proliferation estimates that we're getting from analysts, the battle is far from over.

You might say, if you can't beat them, sue them. Some states are making it easier to do just that by passing laws regulating mass e-mailing. But spammers are slimy, slippery types, and they're fighting against legislation. What can you do? Encourage the passage of laws regulating mass junk e-mailings (see "The Law of the Spam,", for a list of proposed legislation) and follow our recipe for stamping out spam.