ANTISPAM TIPS FROM PC MAGAZINE
  1. Guard your in-box. Don't give your e-mail address to anyone but the people you actually expect to correspond with.  For dealing with everyone else, see tips 2 though 4.
  2. Use free Web mail accounts.  For merchants and legit others you don't correspond with regularly, use Web mail, such as Hotmail's or Yahoo!'s.  You can abandon it if it gets spammed.  Many have spam filtering built in. (Both Hotmail and Yahoo! have it.)
  3. Use disposable e-mail address.  Disposable e-mail addresses are great in-box insulators.  Give them out in place of your real address, which remains hidden.  You can always dispose of the address if it gets spammed.
  4. Use fake addresses.  Most Web-based sign-up forms require an e-mail address, but ask yourself, do they really need it?  If you don't want to hear from the site (and don't need a confirmation e-mail or tech support) don't give a real address.
  5. Don't post your address.  Resist the impulse to post it on Web sites, guest books, contact lists, newsgroups, chat rooms, and so on; spammers harvest from these places.  If you absolutely must revel yourself, use a Web-mail account or a disposable e-mail address.  You can also put something extra in your e-mail that humans will know how to read but harvesting robots won't: sean@pretend.com becomes sean AT pretend DOT com.
  6. Don't answer spam. Ever. You won't stop spam by writing to the spammers, even if you ask nicely.  At best, you'll flame a robot, which won't mind.  At worst, you'll confirm that your e-mail address belongs to a human being - a valuable commodity for spammers.  Ignore the "remove me" e-mail addresses, too.  Many of these lead to dead or inactive addressees.
  7. Opt out.  When you do sign up for or buy something on-line and you have to give out your e-mail address, remember to opt out of something you're not absolutely sure you want to receive.
  8. Read the privacy policy.  Make sure you understand what a Web site promises to do (and not to do) with your e-mail address.  If there is no privacy policy, see tips 2 through 4.
  9. Use a spam filter. Even if you follow the tips 1 through 8, you're going to get spam.  If you get more than you can handle, try using an antispam software like SpamKiller from McAfee.