V. A. Shiva Ayyadurai, Dr. E-Mail: Inventor of Email, History of Email, Free EMail Tips

E-Mail has become ubiquitous as a communication tool today. With the rising usage of E-Mail comes the rising occurrence of spam. Here are some basic tips for avoiding or at least reducing spam in your in-box:

• Do not use your primary E-Mail address on message boards, online forums etc. Use a second 'disposable' E-Mail address for these websites.
• Avoid opening E-Mails from someone you do not know or do not trust. These could contain software or script which might harm your computer.
• Do not reply to a spam E-Mail. You are unknowingly just validating your E-Mail address as being currently live.
• Use anti-spam and filtering software. However, keep in mind that even the best anti-spam software cannot stop all the spam and some may even mark legitimate E-Mails as spam.
• If you are using an E-Mail client like Outlook or Thunderbird, instruct your antivirus software to scan incoming E-Mail.
• Install a spyware / malware checker and run it once a week to detect and remove any spyware or trojans.

Use the BCC field when you do not want recipients to know who else you have sent the e-mail to. The BCC field ensures privacy of your contacts since recipients can not view this field. If you use the BCC field, but be sure to leave the 'To' or 'Reply To' blank, or your e-mail may be considered spam.