4 ms·

Never click a spammer's "unsubscribe" links -- that just tells them they have a valid account. If you use a big email provider like gmail, flag them as spam.

Never click a spammer's "unsubscribe" links -- that just tells them they have a valid account. If you use a big email provider like gmail, flag them as spam. Otherwise, make a rule in your mail client to automatically file anything from their domain to the trash.

test1235 10y ago
I've had good success with unsubscribing from legitimate mailing lists using the links at the bottom of an email. It's not the company's fault if I unthinkingly subscribed to their newsletters - they shouldn't have all their emails forever tagged as spam for my mistake. Real spam however, rarely makes it into my inbox - it gets filtered out and deleted without ever being opened.
- nothrabannosir 10y ago
  > It's not the company's fault if I unthinkingly subscribed to their newsletters - they shouldn't have all their emails forever tagged as spam for my mistake. It is. Default checked "subscribe" boxes during sign in, hidden settings, new lists which you are auto subscribed to; it's a never ending battle and the incentives are wrong. If there was no unsubscribe link but only the spam button, publishers would be much clearer about these things. Ironically, the unsubscribe link has probably led to more spam, rather than less.
  - douche 10y ago
    Half the time, clicking the unsubscribe button leads you to another form that is almost impossible to comprehend, which results in (maybe) unsubscribing you from one list, but subscribing you to fourteen other newsletters and update and special offer lists, for a net increase in spam.
    - mnw21cam 10y ago
      If the email says "click here to unsubscribe", then it should do exactly what it says. Taking you to a page that allows you subsequently unsubscribe is not sufficient. And yes, you should only ever follow links for companies that you are confident are not spamming you out of the blue, because of the danger that you are just confirming your email address is active. My other gripe is that I'm not sure how anyone is going to tell that I have clicked on a word in an email, given that it's displayed on an xterm. But if they say that by clicking on it I am unsubscribed, it's their problem to make sure it happens.
- DanBC 10y ago
  > It's not the company's fault if I unthinkingly subscribed to their newsletters If they're not confirming your opt in they're spamming you, especially if your opt-in is the result of a default-checked check box.
crummy 10y ago
I don't think spammers care about the difference between an email they have and an email they have that clicked a link. They're going to spam both anyway.
- username223 10y ago
  I'm pretty sure they do care. They're renting out a bot-net at some $/message, and only make money when someone actually clicks through to buy their "p3n1s pills," so knowing that a real clicking human is associated with an address matters quite a bit.

test1235 10y ago

I've had good success with unsubscribing from legitimate mailing lists using the links at the bottom of an email. It's not the company's fault if I unthinkingly subscribed to their newsletters - they shouldn't have all their emails forever tagged as spam for my mistake. Real spam however, rarely makes it into my inbox - it gets filtered out and deleted without ever being opened.

nothrabannosir 10y ago
> It's not the company's fault if I unthinkingly subscribed to their newsletters - they shouldn't have all their emails forever tagged as spam for my mistake. It is. Default checked "subscribe" boxes during sign in, hidden settings, new lists which you are auto subscribed to; it's a never ending battle and the incentives are wrong. If there was no unsubscribe link but only the spam button, publishers would be much clearer about these things. Ironically, the unsubscribe link has probably led to more spam, rather than less.
- douche 10y ago
  Half the time, clicking the unsubscribe button leads you to another form that is almost impossible to comprehend, which results in (maybe) unsubscribing you from one list, but subscribing you to fourteen other newsletters and update and special offer lists, for a net increase in spam.
  - mnw21cam 10y ago
    If the email says "click here to unsubscribe", then it should do exactly what it says. Taking you to a page that allows you subsequently unsubscribe is not sufficient. And yes, you should only ever follow links for companies that you are confident are not spamming you out of the blue, because of the danger that you are just confirming your email address is active. My other gripe is that I'm not sure how anyone is going to tell that I have clicked on a word in an email, given that it's displayed on an xterm. But if they say that by clicking on it I am unsubscribed, it's their problem to make sure it happens.
DanBC 10y ago
> It's not the company's fault if I unthinkingly subscribed to their newsletters If they're not confirming your opt in they're spamming you, especially if your opt-in is the result of a default-checked check box.

crummy 10y ago

I don't think spammers care about the difference between an email they have and an email they have that clicked a link. They're going to spam both anyway.

username223 10y ago
I'm pretty sure they do care. They're renting out a bot-net at some $/message, and only make money when someone actually clicks through to buy their "p3n1s pills," so knowing that a real clicking human is associated with an address matters quite a bit.