The Ultimate Spam Blocker

In my previous post on how to prevent email Spam, I mentioned that my business email address is over 10 years old, and I get a lot of Spam. My current email system (Zimbra) combined with my email client (Mail) do a pretty good job trying to stop it all, but I still get at least a couple dozen pieces of Spam per day. This made me start looking for a more aggressive way to stop Spam, but I have yet to find what I’m looking for. So here it is below. Let me know if anyone out there knows of a system that does this.

I have come to believe that the only way to truly stop Spam is by a whitelist filter. Stopping all emails from unrecognized email addresses. I have seen the systems that respond to my emails and ask me to verify who I am. They are frustrating because it makes me have to take time to answer questions on a form. But mostly I’m frustrated because the lazy a-hole who set up their email for this didn’t include me in their whitelist. And that is the only real flaw in this system. You need to be able to add people to the whitelist easily.

My idea Spam blocking system would have a whitelist filter that is easily updated by several methods.

First, when you initially set this up, you should be able to import your current address book or spreadsheet of names and emails.

Second, when you send out an email, that person should be automatically added to the whitelist.

Third, you should be able to add individuals to the whitelist through a simple box on a website, or by emailing the system with an email in the subject.

Fourth, you should be able to add an entire domain to the whitelist. So when someone emails me from that company, the email comes through unobstructed.

Fifth, when an email gets through, I should be able to right click on that email and add to whitelist, and even have the option of adding domain to whitelist.

A couple other features that I think would be essential to this are:

1. The ability to add a “Subject† pass-through. So if I wanted to let them public know they can email me about a certain subject, as long as they put the right term in the subject line. You should be able to add or delete subject terms through a website.

2. An updated whitelist available of trusted merchants like Amazon and eBay so that you can make sure to get your receipt for purchases and other info. This should include the ability to remove any of the merchants you like.

3. The ability to see the emails that have come in but not verified.

So the system would work in this way; a friend emails you that is not yet on your list. They get back and email that explains that they must ID themselves and sent to a website. They fill out the info and the email goes through. When you get the email, you right click and add them to your whitelist.

Another example, a client emails that is not yet in the whitelist and is sent back an email asking them to ID themselves. When they do, the email goes through. You get the email and right click on the name, and select Add domain to whitelist. Now anyone from that company can email you directly.

You create a blog posting about email Spam and ask people who want to follow up directly to email you and make the subject “Spam post†. You add this term to your whitelist, and all the emails get through.

There are plenty of scenarios that could arise, but I believe that this system would handle just about everything, with very little flase negatives overtime. And the more people that used this system, the less Spam works. It may sound like a hassle, but it really wouldn’t be once you get used to it.

I wish this type of thing could be added to Zimbra. But if you know where I can find a system like this, please let me know.

Update: I found an application that has 90% of this.   Click here to read more.
[tags]email, spam, anti-spam, zimbra[/tags]