Please note, this is not about spam filtering. Filtering is like shutting the barn door after the horse has bolted. Having said that, it is often necessary, but luckily can be done when it is.
This document is about protecting your email address so that it does not get into the hands of those who would abuse it. Now that is easier said than done. Consider all of these things that you may do on the internet:
- Post to a publically viewable forum, mailing list or usenet group
- Sign up for a “special offer”
- Register for access to a site
- Put your contact details on a web page
- etc, etc …
Each of these things (and no doubt many more that I haven’t thought of) put your email address within reach of friendly spammers. Once they have it, it has a tendency to multiply as those helpful people share their information with each other!
… So prevention is much better than cure …
