Mac Users Sound Off: Free Is Good, Spam Is Not.

Mac users are discriminating buyers, thoughtful computer users, and opinionated. Fortunately, opinions from Mac users are considerate. For example, what do Mac folks say about spam, spam tools, email utilities? Read on…

Tops on the list from Mac users is spam. Everyone gets it, some get little, some get loaded down.

Dan Knight from LowEndMac has a new spam tool. This is one I haven’t tried yet but it gets good marks from a number of Mac users. “Dan” says…

“I use Sp@mX to send abuse messages to the ISPs that allow spam onto the Net. It takes a while each day, but I’m dealing with an average of over 300 spams per day. Numbers are slowly dropping - expect a report on Low End Mac in another week.

I stopped the stock offers in about two days by forwarding them to the SEC, something Sp@mX can do with each and every email you receive.”

That’s a report we look forward to. Spam is a daily headache for those of us with multiple email accounts (don’t ask how many I have; home, business, Yahoo, Google, HotMail, AOL).

Mac user “emusic” takes a different approach to spam.

“My solution is three layered and has reduced SPAM to virtually zero. 1) Use a remailer. (I’ve used POBOX.com since 2001 and they have taken proactive measures, emphasis on active, to combat the scourge; 2) kvetch at your ISP. 

Roadrunner has improved somewhat over the past year, though I can’t claim that my frequent calls have had a direct effect, if there are sufficient numbers of subscribers who call, any responsive ISP will act to keep their cash flow going; 3) Use the tools available to your email client: Spam Assassin, SpamX, or the custom filtering built-in to Mail, Eudora et. al. 

Finally, keep in mind that one of the reasons that spammers persist is to steal your identity. Fortunately we’re on Mac’s so the threat of having our machines zombied or our data harvested is relatively low compared to the Windoze world. But it should go without saying that one must remain vigilent.

As the Mac market share grows, ambitious crackers will expend more effort targeting Mac users if only because some have been too smug about Panther’s relative immunity.”

I’ve been using (at Tara’s suggestion) Spam Sieve. I’ll admit it does a good job filtering spam and moving into the junk mail box. I still have to check it from time to time for false positives.

Does everyone have a spam problem? Mac user “coogan71” was one of the few who told us that he’s down to near zero.

“I feel like the odd man out here.  I rarely if ever get spam in Apple’s Mail. I have three e-mail accounts, one Yahoo, one. Mac, one from my ISP. 

Most of my e-mail goes to my Yahoo account, which does a great job of filtering out all sorts of garbage before it even finds its way to my second barrier, SpamFire. SpamFire catches all but the remaining .01%, and even then Apple’s Mail catches that and puts it in the junk mail folder. 

I do use my Yahoo account to register for stuff on the web - forums, subscriptions, etc… and have yet to actually see any “real” spam.  Mostly it’s Yahoo that catches the most of it.  I get maybe 1 or 2 pieces of spam a month in my inbox at best.”

OK, “SpamFire’s” now on my Try List.

Was spam the only thing on Mac user’s minds this past week? Not at all.

Tera talked up Apple’s strategy with the Mac mini ("it’s all in the numbers") and Mac users had some advice of their own.

“Apple doesn’t need to sell 3 mac minis for every G5 - if the margins are the same since the G5 costs so much more to put together - Apple will do fine. 

NO tablet necessary EVER. Learn to type! 

MS is done. MS is the GM of the 1950’s, they spewed so mkuch cash and got so lost. MS is ONLY about monthly revenue stream now - why would they devote so much resource to a watch OS?

The only reason they are involved in TV is they want the studios to use WMA-9 - not going to happen. The studios are not idiots. (the satellite companies had a choice and they just choice MPEG-4) Re-read Bill Gates speech - he says NOTHING that a mid-tier product manager at Toshiba might say but because it’s Bill Gates - it seems important.

Don’t believe - re-read as if someone from Toshiba delivered it.  YAWN. Can you actually see Bill Gates watching a TV show?

Ask him what his favorite TV show is (not on news or MSNBC?) or ask him to describe any sitcom or drama? Or his favorite album or CD? Steve Jobs might not be an avid TV or movie watcher but at least we know he’s seen 5 animated movies and we know he loves music ... 

If you bet on MS, you are placing your money on the GM of technology - huge and self-important so people do pay attentiion but fear it? Nah.”

Hmmm. Microsoft as General Motors of the 50’s? Fortunately, I can’t remember that far back. And I drive a Toyota anyway.

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