Spam is junk email, usually used for advertising purposes. There is a great temptation for small companies to use this method of mass broadcasting, because it costs so little to send thousands or millions of messages in a matter of seconds or minutes. Once your email address gets on their lists, there is really nothing you can do about it except for changing your address. Here are some of the ways spammers can get your address for their lists:

1. using the "return to" address on your email; - Since email typically makes many split-second stops on its journey, spammers can harvest these "probably good" addresses, since standard email is not encrypted or secure. In our experience, this is the fastest way to get on spammers' mailing lists. This is usually set in your email software's preferences or options.
2. non-secure commercial, public, or government databases, such as domain name whois servers with bulk access, failed companies, school records, online forums, chat rooms, etc. Some states even sell personal data from their driver's license databases to advertisers!
3. having your email address on your website or partially hidden in a reply form.

The first is easy to solve, by changing your email settings, then changing your address, if necessary.
For the second, there isn't much one can do except write to your elected representatives, perhaps complaining will be inspiration for a change in laws.
For the third, the answer is a little more complicated. Standard reply forms contain the destination address, even if it is not shown on the page. Advanced programming can format your messages and keep your address completely hidden on web sites that we host. Ask us for a quote!

Cookies are the small files that some web sites put on your computer, so that they can keep track of where you have been on their web site. Some of the reasons they do this may be somewhat benign, such as keeping track of your preferences for text size. Another reason is to know who you are when you return, either for marketing and customer profiles, or so you don't have to re-enter your personal data.

In accordance with our position on privacy, we feel that it is rather rude for a web site to force a potential or established customer to make their computer accept and transmit cookies. We have seen sites that try to write cookies on your computer that last until the year 2033!

Web sites that force cookie usage are probably turning away many potential customers and search engines, since they can't enter the site without accepting cookies. There are better and less obtrusive methods to accomplish the same goals, such as using either random session identifiers for each visit, or securely-entered customer logins with a server database. We have developed advanced software to do this and more on web sites that we maintain. Please ask us for a quote!

 

...more to come!