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COLD : Microsoft Opts-In Hotmail Users ... readon if don't want more spam...

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you know that Hotmail has a filter setting?

In option go to Junk Mail Filter, then select the high setting. The default is set to low.


I wonder what it uses to determine junk mail
 
A little off topic-->

Anyone having problems logging in to the hotmail accounts thru Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express. For some reason it is not working now.

Help!
Thanks.
 
I don't think these checkboxes result in spam. I've been receiving spam for ages, since before those options appeared.

These checkboxes are provided as a courtesy to you, not as a spam generator. Did anyone read the link titled "Tell me more about .NET Passport, privacy, and security"? Taken directly from .Net privacy statement:
"You control which .NET Passport participating sites and services receive the information in your .NET Passport profile and .NET Passport wallet. The information stored by .NET Passport is not shared with a .NET Passport participating site or service unless you explicitly choose to provide it by clicking the .NET Passport sign-in link or the .NET Passport express purchase button on that site."
--AND--
"NET Passport will not sell or rent your personal information to third parties."

By checking these options, MSN is sharing your info with .NET partners when you say it's ok, not selling your info to spammers. The following options won't result in more spam. The options are letting you specify what info to share when you click on the .NET Passport sign-in link on the .NET partner pages.

Hence if I check (on the Hotmail site) "Share my e-mail address" and "share my other registration information" and I go to Buy.com and I click the link ".NET Passport sign-in", I will still need to fill in my First and Last names since I didn't check "Share my first and last names".

MSN provided this service so that if you go to a .NET partner and you decided to register on that site (say, for example, buy.com), your info will be pre-filled in. They aren't selling your information to spammers, and they aren't giving your information to these other .NET sites unless you decide to register with those sites. They're just saving you keystrokes by speeding up registration and offering you personalized services. Any e-commerce site (as are most .NET partners) are going to try to offer you content and services- at least if you share your passport info, you'll get content and services which are better tailored to you.

If you go to passport.com, you can see the list of companies whom your info will be shared with. And it's only shared when you decide to register with that site and when you log in to that site. Buy.com won't get my Passport info unless I register with them.

I have 2 hotmail accounts- one which is a spam-magnet and one which is spam-free. The spam-magnet account has been open for > 3 years, the spam-free account has been open for ~6 months.

On the spam-free account, I have checked all of those options for sharing info with other .NET partners and I DO NOT have any junk mail filtering turned on. I've never received a piece of spam. Not one.

On the spam-magnet account, I haven't checked those options to share info with .NET providers, I have Junk Mail Filtering set to High and Immediate Deletion, and I have some other filters set. I receieve at least 10 spam e-mails a day.

I believe that Hotmail addresses were stolen and sold to spammers during the Hotmail server break-ins of 1999. This would explain why my first e-mail address is filled with spam and my second is spam-free. Of course, none of this explains whey Hotmail has such a sucky spam filter, but it's free, so hey.

But I don't believe M$ is directly responsible for the deluge of spam, and I don't believe those checkboxes for sharing info will result in more spam
 
it doesnt matter what email you got, once you are targetted for spam more and more of them come everyday just like a virus spreading to other spammer so they can get you too. so convient for them yet so annoying for the average users like us. how do we put a stop?
 
The only way to put a stop is to educate people that buy things from spammers. I know a guy that employs spammers to promote a penis enlargement pill, and according to him, spam sure makes a lot of money. I really hate spam more than anyone else, but as long as it makes money, it'll be hard to convince spammers to stop.
 
I recently got a free email account with go.com. Haven't received spam at all in over a month. I never thought I'd be sooo glad to only have 1 new message in my inbox every day if that. Definately a huge improvement over hotmail!
 
thanks jimmyhaha... i was wondering how i got all this spam in my hotmail acct when i use it exclusively for school (eg school notices, etc). gosh... microsoft sucks (blatant understatement...). :disgust:
 
Runciter, I think you are mistaken.

MicroSux should have let all its users know of this change in its privacy, plain and simple. And yes, I have received more spam since this change. We all need to thank Jimbo if we did not already know this.
 
Yes... I agreed MS did leak out our private information. I have setup one new Hotmail account few days ago, and haven't use it until today. I found out I have more than 40 spam mails in my INBOX waiting for me. I remember I didn't sign up for any promo when I sign up.

Even thou Hotmail is free, but maybe we can start a class action. 🙂
 
Thanks for posting the topic. I've noticed a lot more spam lately in my hotmail account. Unfortunately, the boxes were already unchecked, so that won't help. I'm now trying the custom filter as suggested in this thread. I created a folder called AtFolder. This will give me a single place to evaluate the effectiveness of the filter.
 
Hey bigboxes,

I'm still not convinced that those checkboxes increased your spam. I have an account with those boxes checked and I get no spam (I hope I'm not jinxing myself). The account is ~6 months old. I haven't turned on my Junk Mail Filter and I don't have any custom filters.

Until I hear of someone who has opened a new hotmail account (with those boxes checked) which starts to get spam, I'm going to defend those checkboxes 🙂 I am not defending MS's poor excuse for a Junk Mail filter.

How old is your account? Was it opened before the 1999 server break-ins?

Hmm, apparently Wooster just opened an account and that account gets spam. I wonder if his hotmail address was used by someone else previously (say, in 1998-99) and the account died, and then he requested and got that hotmail address (which the spammers already had).
 
There are some reports that they are doing much the same thing with their Passport users.

If you have ever signed up for a Micro$oft Passport account, go to this URL:

Edit Micro$oft Passport Profile

After a brief stop to enter your password, you'll be at a point where you can see your Passport profile. Scroll down and take a look at the three "sharing" boxes near the bottom. Some people say that the three boxes come up checked, exposing you to a veritable BLIZZARD of spam and who knows what else.

In my personal case, the three boxes were there but were unchecked. Your mileage may vary.
 
BullishDad, tell me how the custom filter works for you! for more effectiveness, block also those words in the "subject" field (unless of course you expect mail related to these words)
sex, viagra, vacation, diploma, herbal, natural, free, $

If you see you still get a lot of spam mail, try and see if their's a common point in the spam (all containing the same word, or something like that), and create yourself a custom filter.
 
For you Hotmail users (and Yahoo), you might want to check out this: MailWasher
This FREE program will allow you to pre-view the messages at the server first; therefore, avoding all the junk and virus that idiots send through email onto your hard drive. It also allows you to "bounce" the message back where it came from. I've had my email account for 4 years, and I was getting ton's of spam. Within the first 4 weeks of use, my spam has been cut in half.

The author says his next release will include support for Hotmail users and AOL. Worth a look.
 
thanks for the notice, too bad i get like 100 junk emails daily... its ridiculous... seriously, don't they know when to stop? On one of my accounts, i didn't give my email to ANYONE, yet i still somehow get loads of spam (30 a day)
 
thanks for the notice, too bad i get like 100 junk emails daily... its ridiculous... seriously, don't they know when to stop? On one of my accounts, i didn't give my email to ANYONE, yet i still somehow get loads of spam (30 a day)
 
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