Firefox and Thunderbird: Beyond Browsing and Email

Chapter 12. Fighting Spam

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Security and Privacy Settings

• Understanding Bayesian Filtering

• Learning About the Adaptive Filter for Junk Mail Control

• Training the Adaptive Filter

• Changing the Junk Mail Settings

• Handling Spam

• Catchall Spam

• Living Without Spam

• Organizing Mail Secrets for Power Users

Spam is an unsolicited email attempting to sell a product or service. It seems simple, but the truth is that spam is anything but simple. Spam has become a continuously waged battle between spam senders and everyone who is on the receiving end.

The first recorded commercial message was sent by an employee of DEC, based in Marlboro, Massachusetts, on May 1, 1978. It advertised a DEC computer system and was sent over ARPANET, a network run by the United ...