SpamPal: The Free, Open Source Anti-Spam Alternative No Such Thing As A Free Lunch? Adam Stone
While some would say there is no such thing as a free lunch, if by "lunch" they mean canned spam, they're wrong. A free application called SpamPal will toss your junk mail in the can quietly, efficiently, and accurately. Oh, and did we mention it's free?
SpamPal sits between your email program and your mailbox, checking email as it arrives. Anything identified as spam gets tagged with a special header. Configure your email client to filter anything with this header into a separate folder, and spam is simply and efficiently whisked away. You can review the folder's contents at will or simply dump the stuff unread.
SpamPal does its filtering in a number of ways. In general the software works by referring to DNSBL lists. These lists contain addresses and information for machines throughout the internet that are known sources of spam. Many but not all internet service providers already block mail based on these lists. By using SpamPal as a buffer, however, the user is assured of all such mail being blocked.
Optional features extend the blocking even further. For example, SpamPal allows a user to block entire countries, especially those that are most often abused by spammers, such as China, Korea, and Taiwan. And optional plug-ins like the Bayesian filter (more on this feature in a bit) can add enhanced spam protection.
SpamPal isn't for everyone, though. While it will support a standard email program such as Outlook, Outlook Express, or Eudora, it won't work with internet-based email services like AOL, Hotmail, or Yahoo. It also requires more configuration to work with Outlook Express and Outlook than install-and-run spam tools like Qurb, Norton AntiSpam, and Cloudmark SafetyNet, and it lacks some of the user comfort features such as simple yet efficient approve/block buttons that reside in these mail clients' toolbars.
Still, that leaves many who can make use of SpamPal, and for these users the tool offers a number of helpful features to ensure smooth operation.
