Learn to defeat spam

To see a header in Outlook Express 5.5, open the message, click File, then Properties, and then the Details tab.

The most useful strategy for blocking e-mail is to learn to use the e-mail filtering options in your e-mail program. A Cyberwalker column on how to use e-mail filters is available: Unwanted e-mail? Filter it out!

There are also commercial anti-spam programs available. A couple to take a look at are CA Anti-Spam 2007 and another that is plainly titled SpamKiller.

In case you're wondering, the origin of the term "spam" for junk e-mail comes from a sketch by the British comedy troupe Monty Python. They did a bit on a restaurant that only featured dishes made with Spam, which - as you may know - is a canned ham product from Hormel. When the waitress describes items on the menu, a group of Vikings sing a song that goes something like: "Spam spam spam spam, spam spam spam spam, spam spam spam spam..."

So spam was thus named because, like the song, it is an endless repetition of worthless text. In case you're interested, the transcript of the sketch is here: The Infamous Monty Python Spam Skit!

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