Tech: e mail

Subject: Tech: e mail
From: kendall
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 08:43 AM

I'm still using Outlook Express, and just recently, for some unknown reason, a friend's e mails are automatically being forwarded into my delete box. As far as I know, I didn't do anything to cause this. Any ideas?

Subject: RE: Tech: e mail
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 09:17 AM

I expect Bill Gates has decided he doesn't want anyone to talk to you...
Quack!
Geoff.

Subject: RE: Tech: e mail
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 09:21 AM

Most such functions in OE are setup and managed at Tools|Message Rules. To send your friend's mail directly to the Delete box, the normal "rule" would be addition of the sender's address to the "Blocked Senders List," although you can use other kinds of rules to accomplish the same thing, if the mail protocol you're using permits local rules at all.

Since you can block an individual sender or all messages from a particular server, or even from a particular domain, etc., it's possible that some other sender (spammer?) that you blocked was blocked at a service level that's shared by the friend - perhaps.

Almost everything in the rules section is by adding or deleting checks in little boxes, so it's hard to mess anything up. To be super-cautious, making a written list of any changes you make, as you poke about, should let you undo any damage, so it's fairly safe to look into what's there.

Rules generally do NOT work in OE if you're receiving http or IMAP mail, (POP3 is the "usually preferred" protocol for OE) but your email service can redirect mail - downloading it to you but putting it directly into the bulk mail or deleted mail box, if filters that the service provider applies detect "suspicious content or origin."

If you don't find anything suspicious in the Tools|Message Rules, your friend may have a bug in email being sent, and/or the server or domain the friend sends from may have been tagged as a source of high volumes of spam and is being diverted by your email service.

Often spam volumes high enough to get a server tagged are the result of someone using the service with an infected machine that's being used as a "bot" to send spam without the machine owner's knowledge. The infected machine(s) could be your friend, and/OR anyone else using the same server.

If your service is doing the diverting, you may or may not be able to get them to explain what/why it happens; but if you're reasonably sure that nothing on your machine has been changed it probably is worthwhile to try to contact them and ask, or at least to look for a FAQ page at the service's site for clues.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: e mail
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 10:07 AM

There is a new version of Eudora being announced in the bottom corner of my free Eudora email program. Eudora. You can buy it, you can get a sponsored version (it has a little ad in the lower left corner, I rarely notice it) or you can get a "lite" version that I think doesn't have the add. I recommend the robust free version.

When you set that up you can probably import your address book and such.

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: e mail
From: kendall
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 10:36 PM

Ok, thanks, John. This just happened and I have no idea why.
Another thing, when I had my confuser updated at Staples, he was supposed to save everything on my hard drive, but somehow he managed to lose my free popup blocker, and I don't remember which one it was. Hell, I don't dare change anything now!

Subject: RE: Tech: e mail
From: Sorcha
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 11:01 PM

Oh Kendall....for gods sake. Go take a night class. This is NOT rocket science.

Subject: RE: Tech: e mail
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 01:17 AM

Kendall, my favorite popup blocker is in the Google Toolbar. I use the Google Toolbar for lots of things--it also has an excellent spellcheck for any form (like the place at Mudcat where you type in your messages!) Go to http://www.google.com/intl/en/options/ and download the Toolbar (near the bottom of the left column). Once it is in place you can easily customize it. I don't let it fill in forms or do various automatic things. I have it set so I can search images, news, do spell check and use the popup blocker. My g-mail icon is there if I want to get to it via the browser (I also have the G-mail download into Outlook, since I wasn't using Outlook for anything else). And Google maps is on my list of icons. It's a very nice little program.

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: e mail
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 02:34 AM

Stilly -

I've had the Google toolbar (basic one - there are several) for quite some time, and the popup blocker does work quite well. When I got the WinXP popup blocker though, it essentially quit doing much. The Windows thing was originally a beta, now included I think with SP2 but definitely with IE7.

There is a very slight difference in criteria between the two blockers, so a very few items that were passed by the Windows blocker have been blocked by the Google one. (The "count" has changed on the Google bar.) That does show that they're both still working I guess. I wasn't watching too closely, but I think it probably happened when I told the Windows blocker to allow popups for a single visit a couple of times at a site that tends to stall and wait for you to give the permission - and that I knew was "mostly harmless."

I keep the Google toolbar because it's handy for searching. I'll agree its blocker is pretty good, but nothing much ever gets that far anymore.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: e mail
From: Wordsmith
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 02:55 AM

AdAware has a free version that blocks popups. You can get it from Lavasoft.com. They update it weekly. Coupled with Spybot, also free, but you'll have to do a search for that site, they keep my PC well-covered. If you're looking for a free antiviral program, AVG is the best I've seen. It, too, updates weekly. Hope that helps. I'll have to check out the Google toolbar. Sounds good. Thanks.

Subject: RE: Tech: e mail
From: GUEST,Geoff the Duck
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 03:13 AM

I seem to recall rocket science being a lot less hassle than home computers, Sorcha.
Quack!
GtD.

Subject: RE: Tech: e mail
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 03:34 AM

I know a rocket scientist (well, nuclear physicist anyway) and he says that Microsoft Outlook defies all attempts at comprehension.

LTS

Subject: RE: Tech: e mail
From: nickp
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 03:51 AM

I know an astro-physycist (spelling?) who won't use Windows unless forced... but he was loosely involved in that 'lost satellite' team that mixed up metric and imperial measurements...

Subject: RE: Tech: e mail
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 03:57 AM

I know, and have known, a rather large number of "rocket scientists" who were actually incredibly ignorant about a whole lot of very basic stuff.

Of course I could make the same statement about lots of other people in the "not rocket scientist" category.

As the Wizard said to the Scarecrow: "I can't give you a brain, but here's a diploma," or something like that.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: e mail
From: kendall
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 09:05 AM

Sorcha, you been hanging out with control freaks?

Subject: RE: Tech: e mail
From: Sorcha
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 09:16 AM

No dear. Just frigid ones. -9 F and 30 mph wind here today. Makes me cranky.

Subject: RE: Tech: e mail
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 06:35 PM

John,

There was some reason that I decided I didn't want all sorts of blockers going, so I have the Windows popup blocker turned off. I think it was selectively letting through things that Google didn't. So I have only one popup blocker going, and my choice is Google.

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: e mail
From: kendall
Date: 02 Feb 07 - 08:44 PM

I now have google popup blocker, and I'm happy. Thanks folks.

Subject: RE: Tech: e mail
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Feb 07 - 01:27 AM

Good!