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About CS
July 23, 2004 The Temple community increasingly depends on e-mail as a reliable form of communication. Over the past year, for example, TUmail system usage rose as much as 300%. At the same time, the popularity of e-mail for commercial purposes continued to grow worldwide. Reliance on this channel of communication is forcing us all to deal with ever-increasing amounts of e-mail. A portion of the messages that we receive are productive, but much of it is unwanted or unsolicited mail, popularly known as spam or junk mail. In addition, even though we might not want to admit this, another percentage of our Inbox includes unnecessary mail that we create and send to each other. In this message, I would like to address some ways to deal with the many e-mail messages that we send and receive at Temple. Dealing with Spam Temple has a very highly rated commercial spam filter, and we are now testing an additional product that will work to shield the University from unwanted solicitations. For the most part, these filters do a good job of limiting the amount of unwanted mail that we all receive. If you have any doubts about this, look in your Junk Mail folder and imagine all that additional mail sitting in your Inbox. The TUmail spam filters, however, can only do so much, because “spammers,” as they’re called, make their living coming up with new ways everyday to get past junk mail filters. The problem of unwanted e-mail is so rampant that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is looking into ways to help curtail spam. However, solutions such as the CAN-SPAM Act have not significantly made a difference and an attempt to create a do-not-spam registry was recently declined. Technology companies such as Microsoft, AOL, and Yahoo are also heavily involved in addressing this issue. These companies are aggressively researching sender authentication as a way to combat spam. Where does this leave Temple? Until an overall solution is found, there are a few ways we can all combat the large number of junk mail messages that we receive: 1. Do not reply to spam messages. Doing so will only confirm that your address is active. 2. Be careful using your e-mail address when purchasing products online. Only submit your address when absolutely necessary. 3. Stay on top of the junk mail options in TUmail. The White List/Black List as well as the Junk Mail filter can drastically decrease the amount of spam you receive. For more information, see the Weed out your unwanted junk mail article in the new special edition of Bits & PCs on TUmail produced by Computer Services. Sending Messages Another way to help reduce the volume of e-mail at Temple is to cut down on the number of messages we send. Before you send a message, consider these questions: Do you have a good reason to send the message? We all receive more than a fair amount of e-mail everyday and are forced to spend more and more time sorting through it. Ask yourself if the message you are sending is really necessary. If you have a good reason, make the text of the message specific and concise so the reader’s job is easier. Get straight to the point and know what you want to say. Also, try and keep personal e-mail to a minimum. Work-related e-mail is still considered formal business communication and part of Temple University’s files. Is it necessary to cc other people? While your intention to Carbon Copy others may be good, it can sometimes cause confusion. People receiving the “cc” may not always be sure why they were copied on a message or what action they should take. If someone responds by using Reply All, this only increases the amount of unnecessary e-mail. Think carefully about the distribution list you use. Do not copy messages to large numbers of people just because it is easy to do so. When writing, try and be specific by defining each person’s role in the message. Is it necessary to include an attachment? Make sure that you only send attachments that are necessary. Attachments clog accounts and also take away space for you, the sender, as well, since they are stored in your Sent folder. Only send attachments that are productive. As an alternative, consider posting documents on a Web site and simply reference the link in your e-mail message. Computer Services will continue to monitor developments in the campaign against spam. We will also look for ways to improve our junk mail filters and to make resources available that will help us all communicate and share information more efficiently.
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