17 MAR, 2003 - I'm sure the rest of you have received similar messages regarding SPAM and our ARRL.NET operation. For the record, here is the latest one I have received. I have answered this person by pointing out to him that this is an issue within the board, but that there are considerable costs involved in filtering email and that if this was done, there would probably still be some leakage of unwanted email messages. 73 - Dick, W9GIG ======================================================================== Delivered-To: dick@pobox.com : :: : :: : X-Sender: cfwsj@ux1.cts.eiu.edu X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Light Version 3.0.6 (32) Date: Sun, 16 Mar 2003 17:42:21 -0600 To: dick@pobox.com From: William James <cfwsj@ux1.cts.eiu.edu> Subject: ARRL E-MAIL : : : Dick, Hope all has been going well with you. Appreciate your congratulatory note to George Shands W9WUU on the occasion of his fifty years of operating. Have more years to go here to reach that level but identified with the fun he has had over the years. When the option of having a "callsign@arrl.net" became available, I thought it was a great idea that I appreciated very much and quickly jumped aboard. Initially, there was no problem. Gradually, I began to get more and more "uninvited e-mail" as some discovered that that kind of an address could increase their advertising reach. Within the last few months it has gotten to the point were more than half of my e-mail messages are unwanted/univited and that portion is still going up. When I opened my e-mail just a few minutes ago, I had sixteen messages. Fifteen of those were unwanted advertisements for all kinds of items/services, some of which I suspect are illegal. The usual address on such e-mails is w9lyn@arrl.net although some use what looks to me like a way of hitting everyone on the "@arrl.net" server. I have about reached the point where I think it is time to remove my call from the ARRL list unless you can give me some hope that the ARRL server will be able to block such mail. As you can see, at this end I still get my e-mail through the university from which I am retired. My local Internet supplier is a local outfit that connects me to Eastern's e-mail system. Thanks for all of your work as our Division Director and in advance for your consideration of this matter. 73, Bill - W9LYN ARRL-Life Member