SPAM is with us to stay.

[thatvoiceguy.livejournal.com]

We'll never be free of e-mail SPAM. Never. Not as long as there are average end users like ours.

Scenario: Users are ostensibly behind a secure firewall, but still get "In:creas:e y0ur pen1s si:ze" e-mails, etc. Almost without fail, they forward these messages directly to our HelpDesk mailbox.

We then send a standard reply instructing them to save the message as a .msg file, then attach that file to a new message, then send it back to us. We even include a Word doc with screenshots of the process, and explain that it's necessary to do this so that complete header information can be examined.

This is too much information for them. They a) forward it again, b) send the wrong type of file, c) seemingly ignore the instructions and forward a new SPAM message, d) write back and complain that it's too complicated...

Ending SPAM in our lifetime? Not with these recipients.

Comments

[oddball42.livejournal.com]

setting to forward as attachment?

[thatvoiceguy.livejournal.com]

No way to do that in Outlook XP (I may be wrong). Even if there were, it would require a network push which would take months to approve.

[tertiumquid.livejournal.com]

Maybe write an app to automate the process? I guess if it would take that long to get a new push of Outlook approved this one's waaaayyy out there...

[ximinez]

I prefer to blame Microsoft for making Outlook such an unweildy piece of crap. The fact that you have to send instructions more than 2 steps long is indictment enough for me...

[thatvoiceguy.livejournal.com]

In general, I agree. It's the refusal and/or inability of users to follow said instructions that irks me.

[litch.livejournal.com]

the problem in this really is microsoft (or their management's choice to use microsoft), lusers can't help being stupid and inept, getting mad at them is a waste of time and energy, they can't change

it's much more annoying when an "email admin" can't figure out how to get you a copy of the headers

and it could be worse, you could try and get an enduser to extract the internet headers from a notes mail system

[thatvoiceguy.livejournal.com]

It goes without saying, MS is the devil. Outlook is a highly spam-susceptible client.

And yes, as an end-user I'd be annoyed at having to do this, too; still, I'd like to think that I could at least follow the process...

[the-s-guy.livejournal.com]

Mmm - I'd be looking at getting the mail program interface changed so that users can mark a mail as spam from inside the message or from the inbox listing. This will transfer the message to a 'spam' folder in their mailbox and cc a copy to the IT area.

Anything else is too hard. Hell, *THIS* will be too hard for a number of users.

[plutherus.livejournal.com]

I think that the real problem with SPAM is that's it's so damn effective. People need to be educated away from replying to it, or buying anything from Spammers.

Do people really need to be told that a sugar pill isn't going to make your penis bigger, or that nobody in Nigeria is actually trying to move millions of dollars out of the country and into their personal bank account?

People do.

[thatvoiceguy.livejournal.com]

Bingo.

"Hi, I just moved in next door and I'm really lonely!"

No, she didn't. Moran.