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I use a challenge-response system called Active Spam Killer. http://a-s-k.sourceforge.net/ http://a-s-k.sourceforge.net/ When some dastardly spammer adds me t

I use a challenge-response system called Active Spam Killer. http://a-s-k.sourceforge.net/ http://a-s-k.sourceforge.net/ When some dastardly spammer adds me to their list, despite the challenge message explicitly telling them not to, I then add them to my "blacklist" and never hear from them again. Note that you do have to be running your own mail server to get this system working; and you have to edit the lists from the command line. Those challenges aside, this software has eliminated vast quantities of spam and unwanted list mailings for me.

o1iver 15y ago
Otherwise you can use Gmail filters to archive/delete emails from ex "*@convore.com" (every friggin day)...
tzs 15y ago
What happens when you buy something from a site and they send your receipt (and possibly a software key) by email? Where I work we get enough mail bounces from customers whose mailboxes are over quota, or who spelled their address wrong, and so on that challenges from the few using C/R systems are lost in the noise. No one has time to go through all of these, find the challenges, and jump through whatever hoops they want to get the message through.
- gallerytungsten 15y ago
  I use a gmail address for edge cases such as you mentioned. I also pre-emptively add people to my "whitelist" so they don't have to confirm.
pbreit 15y ago
Challenge responses are silly and unnecessary.
- gallerytungsten 15y ago
  At the time I implemented the system I use, I was receiving 600 spam messages per day. The challenge-response system was an excellent and necessary solution.
  - pbreit 15y ago
    That couldn't have been through Gmail?
    - gallerytungsten 15y ago
      No, I installed this system before Gmail existed.
djeikyb 15y ago
Those of you who proactively whitelist, thank you for using your brain. This comment is not directed at you. As a former tech/cust support worker, I hate challenge-response systems. The usual scene is this: (1) support@company.com gets an email (2) I respond via my address, djeikyb@company.com (3) I get a challenge-response email and have to jump through a bunch of hoops to get permission to email the bastard who initiated the exchange. And perhaps some people think that whitelisting support@company.com is enough, when really they should whitelist the entire domain. It's common that email to a general address is parceled out to individuals.

o1iver 15y ago

Otherwise you can use Gmail filters to archive/delete emails from ex "*@convore.com" (every friggin day)...

tzs 15y ago

What happens when you buy something from a site and they send your receipt (and possibly a software key) by email? Where I work we get enough mail bounces from customers whose mailboxes are over quota, or who spelled their address wrong, and so on that challenges from the few using C/R systems are lost in the noise. No one has time to go through all of these, find the challenges, and jump through whatever hoops they want to get the message through.

gallerytungsten 15y ago
I use a gmail address for edge cases such as you mentioned. I also pre-emptively add people to my "whitelist" so they don't have to confirm.

pbreit 15y ago

Challenge responses are silly and unnecessary.

gallerytungsten 15y ago
At the time I implemented the system I use, I was receiving 600 spam messages per day. The challenge-response system was an excellent and necessary solution.
- pbreit 15y ago
  That couldn't have been through Gmail?
  - gallerytungsten 15y ago
    No, I installed this system before Gmail existed.

djeikyb 15y ago

Those of you who proactively whitelist, thank you for using your brain. This comment is not directed at you. As a former tech/cust support worker, I hate challenge-response systems. The usual scene is this: (1) support@company.com gets an email (2) I respond via my address, djeikyb@company.com (3) I get a challenge-response email and have to jump through a bunch of hoops to get permission to email the bastard who initiated the exchange. And perhaps some people think that whitelisting support@company.com is enough, when really they should whitelist the entire domain. It's common that email to a general address is parceled out to individuals.