Spam
Spam usually refers to unsolicited commercial bulk e-mail, or junk e-mail. The term is also sometimes used to refer to commercial or repetitive messages posted to newsgroups and other forums. There are several bad features about spam. First, it clogs peoples mail boxes, and requires time and money to sort through and delete. It can also clog up the internet, tying up resources and slowing the flow of good information. Many people have responded to the spam problem with methods that deter legitimate communications. These include filtering programs that may filter out legitimate messages, not posting to forums, not listing their e-mail addresses on their web pages and even ceasing to read their e-mail. Because spammers often use fake e-mail addresses, the actual users of the addresses used have sometimes gotten into hot water. Another major problem is the content of spams. Many evolve scams such as get rich quick schemes or dubious health products, others contain material that, such as ads for pornography sites, that many people find offensive.
NEW "Phishing" refers to attempts to get financial and personal information, usually throgh official looking but bogus e-mails.
Links for spam
NEW How Not to Get Hooked by a 'Phishing' Scam from the Federal Trade Commission
NEW Antiphishing.org
NEW Phishing from Computerworld
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Written by Jim Norton
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