Cleaning Out Spam

One of our most frequent inquiries is about spam--why there is so much and what to do about it. Spam is an ever-increasing problem; PC Magazine, for example, reports 60% of all internet traffic is spam related. A little knowledge, however, goes a long way in avoiding unwanted messages.
Spammers send millions of messages because their costs are the same regardless of how many or little messages get sent (unlike bulk postal mail). They guess at addresses in hopes of getting a few correct ones in the process. Spammers use programs designed to search web sites, chat rooms, and newsgroups for addresses; they also utilize viruses and worms to mine e-mail address books on personal computers. There are several other ways spammers can obtain your e-mail address, but we are not one of those sources. Be assured Bluemarble does not sell your information to anyone ever.
What can you do to reduce spam? The number one technique is to protect your e-mail address. Do not reply to spam even if it has instructions on how to “unsubscribe.” Spammers use this technique to verify they are sending spam to active addresses. Replying to spam only increases the amount you receive. Just delete it; that is the lowest-stress, quickest option to deal with spam.
Obtain an alternate e-mail address (such as a Yahoo or Hotmail account) to use for filling out forms or posting messages to newsgroups. Whenever you buy something, register for accounts, or post on newsgroups, you’re giving out information spammers can harvest. Also, always read a site’s privacy policies before handing over information; this will allow you to evaluate how a company will handle your information.
You can also apply filters to your e-mail. Bluemarble filters mail based on origin (totaling several hundred thousand pieces daily) but not content—we want to be sure you receive the mail you want. However, we have spam filtering available for you to use via the Bluemarble Customer Account Center (www.bluemarble.net) and there are many good third-party filtering programs available.
Keep in mind most spammers use disposable free accounts because they can abandon them and move to another when the Internet Service Provider (ISP) cancels an account. You can filter out an entire ISP, but do this only if you are sure no one you correspond with uses that ISP. If you choose to filter your mail, be aware spammers change subject lines and addresses frequently. Filters are not foolproof—there is a good chance they will accidentally filter out some messages you don’t consider spam. For this reason, filtered messages should be reviewed before permanently deleting them.
Spam is frustrating for all of us. Everyone around the world is battling the same Viagra and pornography messages that we are. Several proposals are in the works for solutions to the problem; however, any universal fix is at least a few years away. Until then, we’ll do our best to help you combat having your inbox overtaken--just call Technical Support and we’ll offer our best suggestions.

Get A New or Additional E-Mail Address
Did you know you may have up to five e-mail addresses per account with Bluemarble at no extra charge? Perhaps family members would like their own address, or spam has overwhelmed your current address and you’d like a fresh start. Whatever the reason, you may request additional e-mail addresses by contacting Customer Service during normal business hours (M-F 8-5). Once you have those in place, Technical Support can help you set them up (or, if you are familiar with setting up accounts yourself, refer to the following section of the newsletter for help).

Set Up E-mail in a New Program or on a New PC
Want to set up an existing e-mail account on a new computer or different e-mail program? Although all program set-up procedures are different, they all require the same information to let the software know how to communicate with Bluemarble. We are always here to assist you through this process, but for those familiar with their system, the following ‘cheat sheet’ will help you in setting things up yourself. (Remember: POP set up moves your messages down from our servers to your computer’s hard drive; IMAP lets you view your messages as they appear on our server but does not move them down to your PC. Bluemarble suggests using IMAP only if you read your e-mail from various locations (home, work, school, etc.).
Bluemarble Server Information for POP E-mail Set Up
Incoming mail server: pop.bluemarble.net
Outgoing mail server: mail.bluemarble.net
Username: The part of your e-mail address before “@bluemarble.net”
Our servers do not require secure connection.
You should not use secure password authentication.

Bluemarble Server Information for IMAP E-mail Set Up
Incoming mail server: imap.bluemarble.net
Outgoing mail server: mail.bluemarble.net
Username: The part of your e-mail address before “@bluemarble.net”
Our servers do not require secure connection.
You should not use secure password authentication.

Give Your DSL Modem A Fresh Start
If you are a DSL customer and are having trouble getting connected, try the following before calling Technical Support:

1. Close any running applications.
2. Shut down computer properly.
3. Shut off any networking devices (routers, hubs, switches) then shut off the DSL modem by using either the power button on back or unplugging the power cord. Make sure all lights turn off.
4. After all hardware is shutdown, turn the DSL modem back on.
5. Wait 2-3 minutes, make sure the power light and DSL/SYNC light are on, then turn your networking devices and computer back on in reverse order of how you shut them off.

If you use a hub, switch or router and are still having a connection issue, we will ask that you take one computer and connect it directly to the DSL modem (bypassing any networking devices) so we will be better able to determine where your problem lies.