What Is A Spam Filter?

A spam filter is a program that, web based, server based or installed locally, prevents spam e-mail from being downloaded to your PC. The spam filter itself operates on the basis of what are called rules. The spam fighting program will examine your incoming e-mail and match it against a set of pre-defined rules. If the e-mail doesn't match those rules then it's either:

A. Deleted

B. Quarantined for review

Most of todays e-mail application come with a basic spam filter that allows you to block e-mail form specific addresses. Some more complicated e-mail software allows you to configure rules just for that software itself. It can get pretty complex pretty quickly and people who suffer from tons of spam want a simple solution to their problem - not more headaches.

Of the spam filters that are on the market at the moment the vast majority of them need to be installed to your hard drive. There is a move towards spam filters that do all the work online before the e-mail ever gets to your computer. For the time being 90% of all spam filtering software will need to be installed on your computer.

Example of an online spam filter

SpamArrest offers a clever solution whereby mail from unknown senders is sent a "challenge request" which needs to be manually replied to. The automated software used by 99% of all spammers cannot deal with this "challenge request" so the junk e-mail stops cold on your mail server. Once an e-mail address is authorized with Spam Arrest they don't need to keep authorizing themselves with Spam Arrest - clever eh?

Example of a server based spam filter

A server based spam filter is designed to examine the e-mail being sent to your Internet Service Provider or local area network and to filter it effectively before the e-mail is delivered to you. When this works it works really well and when it doesn't then lots of legitimate e-mail gets deleted.

Server based spam filters, as their name implies, are stored on e-mail servers on computer networks. An example of a server based spam filter is iHate Spam Server Edition.

Example of a PC based spam filter

Mailwasher Pro is one of the most popular PC based spam solutions on the market today. The Mailwasher Pro software is installed to your hard drive. Every time you need to check your e-mail you launch Mailwasher Pro and it allows you to preview all of your e-mail and delete what you need before you download the rest of your e-mail. One of the neatest features of Mailwasher Pro is that it allows you to send a reply to the spammer that mimicks a "mailer daemon" error message. When the spammer gets this message from you he assumes your e-mail address no longer exists. Simple but effective.

So to conclude a spam filter is any program, application or service that can prevent junk e-mail from being downloaded to your PC or sent to your e-mail account. The spam filter software can be stored online on the mail server or can be installed on your computer. The desired end result is always the same - less spam on your PC.

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