USA(SANEPR.com) July 2, 2007 -- The ever-increasing proliferation of junk mail and the frightening cost on account of it to individuals and the national exchequer has made E-Mail filtering an indispensable reality. Although unsolicited E-Mail had been plaguing Internet users for a long time the passing of the CAN-SPAM act helped in clearly defining what construed objectionable/Unsolicited E-Mail or Spam. The next logical step to identification of Spam mail was its elimination. Enterprises were quick to realize the need for the huge demand for E-Mail filters and the market saw a boom in the E-Mail filter market. Internet users became a puzzled lot with Spam invading their mailboxes on one side and innumerable mail filtering offers on the other. There were also a section of people who believed that E-Mail filtering went against the spirit of free expression and the nuisance caused by unsolicited mail, was a small price to pay when viewed against the immense benefits of the medium. It should however be remembered that it was only after the volume of unsolicited E-Mail reached alarming proportions and began to threaten the very existence of E-Mail as a medium that the anti-Spamming law was passed.

We bring below a general overview of E-Mail filtering and the available options, this is not however a technical write up on the functioning of E-Mail filters.

1.Black Listing - In this method the ISP’s (internet Service Providers) block mails originating from a particular IP address which is nothing but the exclusive identity of the system from where the E-Mail originated based on frequent complaints received by its subscribers. This is called blocking at source, although an effective method of filtering it places the onus of keeping out Spam mail on the ISP and if such blocking happens over a large number of IP addresses there is a possibility of genuine mail getting filtered along with unwanted mail.

2.Bayesian Spam filters – In this method the filters are equipped with artificial intelligence that prepares its own algorithm on the basis of what the subscriber sends and receives. It determines Spam mail by analyzing what the subscriber reads and stores or deletes. These filters can however be deceived if the sender of the mail decides to change the algorithm.

3.Web-based filters – Many web sites offer their service of whitewashing spam mail and directing only the genuine mails to the subscriber. ISP’s, companies and individual subscribers can use the service of these sites. In this system all E-Mails are directed to a website where they are cleansed of Spam mail and sent back to the subscriber. This could result in a time lag between sending and receiving of mails and deprive the spontaneity of E-Mail communication. There is also the issue of loss of privacy and confidentiality since all incoming mails will be subjected to scrutiny by a third party.

4.Verified list method – This is a rather simple method wherein the subscriber prepares a list of E-Mail addresses from where he would receive mails which would be exempted from the verification process. This system however allows both recipient and subscriber to know which mails have been filtered allowing sender an opportunity to explain so recipient can remove the block and view the mail. It is suitable to people who have a predictable and defined sender’s list but may not suit subscribers who receive mails from a cross section of senders.

Some useful tips on what features to look for before deciding to go for an E-Mail filter.

1.Compatibility with the maximum number of ISPs.

2.Easy to install and self-operative in short notice.

3.Availability of filtered E-Mails outside the mailbox so one has the option to scrutinize and retrieve any    genuine E-Mail that may have got filtered by mistake.

4.Seamless integration with present settings.

5.Live technical support from company that has installed the filtering software.

6.Compatibility with E-Mail server.

Performance and not price should be the deciding factor in choosing the right E-Mail filter since an effective E-mail filter will result in long term savings by keeping the server free of junk mail and more importantly saving precious time which would otherwise be wasted on browsing and elimination of unwanted mail.

In conclusion it could be said that while E-Mail filters can solve the problem of unsolicited E-Mail at the micro level only a multipronged approach involving technology, industry collaboration and public policy cutting across geographical boundaries can offer a more permanent solution.

EchoMail is a Cambridge based technology company that specializes in e-mail marketing, customer care, business intelligence, lead management, data warehousing and e-billing solutions. The company had a dramatic entry to the world of e-mail management in 1994 when its founder, V.A. Shiva, won a contest conducted by the Clinton Administration, the purpose of which was to find a way to analyze and respond to the huge volume of e-mail received by the White House. Shiva, a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was also a winner of the Westinghouse Science Talent Search Award for inventing one of the earliest e-mail systems. Forrester Research rates the company’s business-intelligence software as the best.