ChoiceMail Anti-Spam Rocks!

[corkyg]

After reading a series of articles in our local paper on Spam Wars - I noted the suthor highly recommended ChoiceMail. This was exactly what I wanted - it gives me a PERMISSIVE mail system - in other words, it rejects and bounces all email not on my permission list. The Choicemail people reject and send a note explaining I have a permissive mail system and asks if they want to ask me for permission. Real spammers just go on - friends I missed will say yes, and I get a quick opprtunity to add them to the "White List." The "Black List" grows automatically.

I installed this gem last Tuesday, and have not gotten any Spam except one - some smartass sent me porn garbage using my own address as sender - the fix was easy. I added my name to the Black List - end of that problem. If I want to send myself a test message, I can do that by temporarily changing ChoiceMail.

Find out more at: Choice

 

[Antisocial Virge]

Sounds ok but wouldn't do anything more than mailwasher/ good filters do for me. I just set up a filter that stops all email without my name in the "To" field and that stops %90 of the spam dead in its tracks. Mailwasher (its free) can bounce the email back also but thats of limited use since the majority, if not all, the spam I get has forged headers. Spamcop.net is the best thing I have seen so far to get back at spammers.

 

[corkyg]

I have Mail Washer - have used it for three months. It works fine - but this works better. This is MailWasher with automation.

 

[randypj]

Well, Corky, I wish you'd make up our minds.....just when I was fixin' to go with Mail Washer.

OK...I like the automatic thing of giving them a chance to ask for permission.....but, doesn't this still keep you on the spammer's listing? Unlike MailWasher, which would give them a mailer-daemon? And get taken off the list if they haven't forged headers? Course, I guess if the mail still gets bounced, either way you don't get it.

No....I really don't know what I'm talking about. More opinions please.
--Randy

 

[corkyg]

Check it out Randy - it does everything MailWasher does except in an automated way, and it is a truly "permissive" email system. AOL has always had this as an option, but for some reason, normal ISPs have not opted to offer it. I have an AOL account for backup and travel, and I use that option - only authorized email addresses can send me mail. I have never gotten any Spam there. Nor have I gotten any since I installed ChoiceMail. It works for me! What I have been looking for all along.

 

[Lint21]

Can you use it with Hotmail through Outlook or Outlook Express?

 

[corkyg]

No - it does not work with Hotmail or Yahoo, etc. (web mail). That is being worked on, however, and will soon be available.

Here is their caveat in that regard:

"ChoiceMail works only with standard internet POP3 mail systems that do not require authentication. It does not currently work with web-based email systems such as HotMail, Juno or Yahoo nor with MSN or AOL's proprietary email systems. If you are using any of the above, you should NOT use ChoiceMail at this time. Please watch our website for updates."

 

[Toothpick]

how do you make Choicemail "successfully connect to your email client". I DL this and I cant get it to operate since it hasnt connected to my email server ???

 

[zzzz]

no IMAP too?

 

[corkyg]

Originally posted by: zzzz
no IMAP too?

I'm not sure what you mean by that. It handles all MAPI events with no problem. I am now beta-testing version 1.4.

It took me a while to figure out what it was doing and how it worked - but - my spam download now after a month is ZERO!

The permission bit is easy - when someone asks, I get a popup and can immediately clear them for access to my POP box.

Mail Washer does many of the same things, and in someways is superior in that is lets one see files sizes and attachments, and also lets you preview the message before download. This feature is a great AV tool.

When I am on the road, I will use Mail Washer on my laptop.

 

[Restoman1]

Hello all. Newbie here and I realize this is a VERY old thread, but I've been using Choicemail now for several years, renewing each year, but as of a few days ago, I'm not able to renew. And from what I can see, their web site (http://www.digiportal.com) no longer works so I'm assuming they're out of business. Can anyone verify this?

Thanks
Ed

 

[lantis3]

Looks like business could be closed.

 

[Restoman1]

Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of. It's too bad too. It was a great program. I've now gone to Mailwasher. It's not as good as Choicemail was (in my opinion), but it'll work.

Thanks
Ed