Unsolicited Email
Unsolicited email is generally viewed as one of the more annoying features of Internet, and we were pleasantly surprised that about 30 percent of respondents to our survey on the subject report getting none at all. If you're in that group, a lot of us here at SNET Internet would like to know your secret.
For the record, SNET Internet has a "zero tolerance" policy on "spam," which is slang for Internet junk mail. (Apologies to the folks at Hormel. The usage is generally traced back to a famous Monty Python comedy troupe skit in which it is impossible to order anything without spam in a restaurant without paying extra.)
If you're among the 100 or so respondents who indicated they receive more than 50 pieces of unsolicited email a week, you have both our empathy and our sympathy -- and a promise from the web editor to write a column soon on mail filtering techniques.
Here are the survey results:
Q: How much unsolicited email ('spam')do you get?
- None - 1,049 (29.4%)
- 1-5 a week - 1,273 (35.6%)
- 5-10 a week - 576 (16.1%)
- 10-20 a week - 378 (10.5%)
- 20-50 a week - 186 (5.2%)
- More than 50 a week - 106 (3.0%)
Here are your comments:
"I very rarely get 'spam' mail on my SNET account, but on AOL I get at least two or three 'spam' messages per day, on each screen name! That's why I prefer to use SNET for mail." L.B., Norwalk
"I barely get any spam (luckily) but I get a bunch of chain mail and some other stupid stuff. It drives me crazy. They are pointless and are a waste of time. Some are good and funny but others are either advertising or wanting you to "pass it on." Those ones were the kids is dying and their last wish is to pass a letter all over is a bunch of baloney. If I were dying, I would not make a wish as corny and silly as that ... Or the one if you send it to a certain about of people, this will happen but if you don't bad stuff will happen. Or the ones were if you don't send it to a lot of people you don't have a lot of friends and you're the bad guy. In my opinion, spam and chain mail belongs in the trash can." T.M., Ashford
"I would rather get junk email than have those annoying phone solicitors call my house. There should be someway to block those jerks from calling!" DukeBoy, North Haven
"I get about one spam email month. That wasn't one of your choices." B.B., Bantam
"I get very little spam and I am thankful. That was the primary reason I switched from AOL to SNET.NET (the price increase and dinner time phone sales pitches were also factors.) Now if you could just improve your connection speed ..." D.G.C.3, Haddam Neck
"Being that you asked ... I can't stand it. Not sure where it all comes from and what do you do about it? Nothing! I picked more than 50 per week, but I am not really sure, seems like I get more than my fair share. I do know that when you sign up for those so-called free Web Pages or free e-mail, games, etc they are just come on's so they can sell your email address. And what gets me is when they describe some law and if you want to be removed from the list reply with remove, NOT!! They don't have your address until you actually reply, then watch out. The thing about it is that all you really have to do is hit delete." Sesran, Naugatuck
"I think that e-mail spam will only get worse as more and more people enter the internet scene, because with more people as an advertiser there is more of a audience to get more attention to what they're peddling." J.C., Jewett City
"One reason I'm on SNET is because we DON'T get any junk. On others, the minute you sign up, the junk starts." N.S.C., Bristol
"It drives me absolutely crazy when these online orginizations send me junk mail, claiming i am registered as a member of that club. Even when i respond to remove me from the email list, i still receive numerous follow-ups. I spend more time deleting junk messages than i do actually getting around to reading the ones from my friends. It's insane!!!" A.S., North Haven
"OK, now I know that unsolicitated emails are called "spam." Is this just a word or an acronym? Could you pleae explain where they came up with this term for electronic junk mail? By the way, when I had AOL I got at least 25 per week; with snet.net I have only received one in the year or so I have been with you." E.L., East Haddam
"I am pissed off at my junk mail. It is annoying me. The ones I get are Viagra and Anti-Obesity drugs and I am a 15 year old female anorexic. :)Thanks." K.R.O., Darien
"It is unbelievable! The average of junk email I get in just one week is around 50!! I wish there were some way to stop it." Heather K., Colebrook
"I do not mind five to six ads in a week.Some are informing you of product lines you would not know about otherwise."
E.J.K., Waterbury
"Y'know, I've been on the net for years and "spam" has never been an issue. Actually, I'm beginning to feel left out. What's the matter with me, anyway?" P.C., Milford
"We chose SNET as our Internet provider for two reasons -- Minimal spam and local accessibility without busy signals. Keep it up!!!" P.D., Durham
Previous survey results are available.