Hi, and thanks for the question!
I believe that a great source of information for you would be
www.download.com (a facet of cnet.com), which offers information on
both free and shareware (free to try) software.
By doing a simple search of "spam", cnet returns the following
results:
http://download.com.com/3120-20-0.html?qt=spam
The results are ordered by the amount of downloads, but can also be
listed in terms of rating:
http://download.com.com/3120-20-0-1-3.html?qt=spam
Here, for your convenience, are the 3 most used (by downloads)
products that filter spam at www.download.com:
Spam Buster 1.9
"This program includes a list of 15,000 known spam addresses. You can
configure rules for the header and for the From and Subject lines, and
you can even preview e-mail before you retrieve it. Spam Buster checks
e-mail for up to 12 different mailboxes, and it can check
automatically, sound an alarm, or optionally delete the spam without
user intervention. The program can run from the system tray and launch
your e-mail program automatically. Spam Buster includes Spam Meister,
a tension reliever that will let you smash spam to your heart's
content. This release now allows you to block out entire countries and
also checks for valid domain names. Spam Buster does not work with AOL
or Juno."
Rating = 44%
Downloads = 49,043
http://download.com.com/3000-2369-4668252.html?tag=lst-0-1
Spam Hater 2.09
"Sick of finding your mailbox full of unwanted junk email (a.k.a.
spam)? Spam Hater can help you fight back. This program analyzes your
spam and extracts the addresses of relevant postmasters. It then
generates a Whois query to help track the perpetrator, generates a
Traceroute query to help track the perpetrator's upstream provider,
and prepares a reply that contains your choice of legal threats or
insults, or your own message. If you're upgrading from a previous
version, use this file. Spam Hater works with many popular email
clients; if you're using Eudora Light 3.0.5 or Pegasus Mail 3.01a/b,
this file can aid integration."
Rating = 37%
Downloads = 40,569
http://download.com.com/3000-2369-896903.html?tag=lst-0-2
Postal Inspector Outlook - Anti Spam Filter 3.0
"Say Goodbye To Spam with this powerful anti-Spam filtering tool for
Microsoft Outlook. Put a stop to spam with Postal Inspector - the
fast, easy way to dramatically reduce spam in your inbox. Postal
Inspector installs directly into your email program, running quietly
in the background -- scanning and blocking that time wasting,
irritating junk email. "
Rating = 64%
Downloads = 22,379
http://download.com.com/3000-2144-10130565.html?tag=lst-0-3
And here are the top 3 performers in the ratings:
SpamPal 1.06
"A simple yet effective freeware spam-filtering tool. It checks the
source of your incoming mail against lists of known spammers. Also
includes extensive whitelisting features, and other features to
automatically minimise the chance of legitimate mail being mistaken
for spam. Can be used with any mail program and any POP3 mailbox."
Rating = 95%
Downloads = 2,667
http://download.com.com/3000-2381-10147495.html?tag=lst-3-1
Spam Inspector Outlook 2000/2002 - Junk Email Filter 3.1
"The features at a glance: Automatic & FREE spam definition library
updates daily; Foreign Spam Blocking and Character Set specific
blocking; Custom Filters & Enemies Lists; Automatic Friends List
Management; Local quarantines - let you quickly scan junk email for
ads you might want; Email Bouncing; and more."
Rating = 95%
Downloads = 2,339
http://download.com.com/3000-2369-10150351.html?tag=lst-3-2
MDaemon 6.0.4
"MDaemon is the backbone of Alt-N's complete messaging platform. As a
standards-based SMTP/POP/IMAP mail server, MDaemon offers a full range
of mail server functionality. MDaemon protects your users from spam,
includes built-in web access to email, incorporates remote
administration, and when combined with MDaemon AntiVirus even secures
your system against email-bourne viruses. Deployed as the mission
critical email server in thousands of companies around the world,
MDaemon is proven as secure, dependable and versatile."
Rating = 93%
Downloads = 3,191
http://download.com.com/3000-2369-10139329.html?tag=lst-3-3
(NB: MDaemon is an mail server, that includes the service of spam
filtering.)
Please note that Cnet is very reliable for the information you seek -
most companies that offer their software for free download or
shareware will supply Cnet with their program, and give them a link to
the company's homepage. That is to say, much of the internet's
downloadable programs can be obtained through Cnet's www.download.com,
and hence the results are accurate.
By searching www.Cnet.com for "spam", many more relevant sites come
up.
This page seems especially interesting:
"Is there anything you can to do to stop these faceless, nameless
peddlers of hair-replacement creams, get-rich-quick schemes, and XXX
Web sites from taking over your e-mail account? True, you could just
throw in the towel and think of spam as another annoying and
inevitable by-product of living in a technocentric, ad-ridden world.
But c'mon, where's the justice in that? Take revenge.
But how? In the war against spam, you need something stronger than the
Delete button. A lot of programs out there claim to block unwanted
mail. Some come with a price tag, others are available via download.
To weed out the trash cluttering our in-boxes, we turn to two top
guns: SpamCop and McAfee's SpamKiller. Each costs less than $50. Read
on to find out which one outbusted the other."
http://www.cnet.com/software/0,10000,0-3227888-8-9984052-1,00.html?tag=st.cn.sr1.ssr.
This links to a review of both programs:
McAfee Spam Killer
http://www.cnet.com/software/0-3227888-1204-9966026.html?tag=st.sw.3227888-8-9984052-2.arrow.3227888-1204-9966026
Spam Cop
http://www.cnet.com/software/0-3227888-1204-9965947.html?tag=txt
Both programs cost under $50, and are, according to Cnet, the best in
the range.
www.shopper.com is yet another cnet page, containing a huge range
items, especially those that are technologically related.
It lists Spam Killer and Spam Cop, and also this program:
I Hate Spam
"Eliminate Annoying Spam™ with iHateSpam. It gives you control over
that ever increasing flood of annoying and time-wasting email. Runs
under Windows 98/ME/NT/2000/XP. Windows 95 is not supported. Currently
supports Outlook 2000/2002 and Outlook Express version 5 or higher.
(no other email clients like Eudora or AOL). In just three months
iHateSpam has become the BEST SELLING anti-spam tool for Outlook
users! "
http://www.sunbelt-software.com/product.cfm?id=930
From these results, we can judge how popular each program is for
fighting spam: Spamcop, Spamkiller, and IhateSpam seem to be the three
largest players, that are not freeware.
Here are some links that may be of additional use to you:
Anti-spam programs
http://www.pafways.org/spamwilcox/spamprograms.htm
Anti-spam filters ("My Top Three")
http://www.overcomeemailoverload.com/advice/TopSpamFilters.html
I hope this helps you out, and if you need any clarification, please
feel free to ask.
Many thanks,
bobby_d |
