Is it really spam?
Spam is a serious problem; it is responsible for usurping valuable business resources and exposing our families to unwanted (and sometimes offensive) materials. Spam is unsolicited bulk email. Just because a message is what you consider junk mail does not necessarily make it spam. Not every message subscribers call spam is actually unsolicited. Intelligent Internet habits can reduce the amount of junk mail you receive.
Many online activities begin with you typing and submitting some personal data in a form. Only include the minimum amount of data required. (Required data is often indicated by asterisks). Pay special attention to checkboxes and print that read something to the effect of "Send me the monthly newsletter" or "Inform me of product updates". You must make sure the box is unchecked if you do not want to receive the mailings. Checkboxes are usually found at the bottom of pages (where they are less likely to be noticed) so be sure to scroll all the way down before you click submit on a form.
The dangers of unsubscribing
Be extremely wary of the unsubscribe buttons or instructions that you see at the bottom of junk mailings. Spammers may use your unsubscribe request to verify that your mailbox is active. Some spammers will sell your email address as part of an active mailing list. Then you may receive even more spam.
If you have ever replied to a spam mailing, only to receive an 'undeliverable' message from our mail server, the email address you replied to probably does not exist. In some states sending spam is completely illegal and the sender can be fined on a per message basis. This law sounds good, but it is not as effective as we would like it to be, because spammers take great pains to hide their identities. The nonexistent email address is part of that. The activity of disguising your identity on the internet is called spoofing.
When is it ok to unsubscribe?
Now you are probably feeling a little paranoid, but you should understand that there are times when it's ok to unsubscribe. If you receive a message from an established company, then you may choose to trust the company to unsubscribe you.
How can you tell if a company can be trusted? There is no 100% money back guarantee, but my own guidelines are simple. If you can contact a company by visiting a local store, by sending postal mail to their street address, or if you can reach them by telephoning their office you can probably trust them. Because they know that you will complain if they fail follow through.
