Unknown reason for decrease in unwanted mail in Hot Mail

I don't have a problem but I am curious. Family members use four different HotMail addresses on this computer. This summer we were all getting a LOT of messages we really didn't want. Not sure exactly when this changed but all of these HotMail addresses now receive a lot less unwanted mail! My guess is we only receive about one-fourth of the messages we were receiving this summer.

I changed from the freebie Zone Alarm to Norton Personal Firewall 2002 on 07-23-02, upgraded Norton System Works 2001 to 2002 07-27-02, updated Java 09-19-02 and I updated IE 6.0 to 6.0 SP1 on 09-13-02. I install all of the pertinent Critical Updates. It seems Microsoft has made changes in HotMail this fall. I am a tinkerer and sometimes make changes and then forget about doing it but usually I leave security settings on the default setting.

Could anyone explain what caused the decrease of mail in HotMail? Thanks.

June

 

Brightmail I'd guess!

 

brett
Thanks so much for the prompt answer. Someone using BBS always has the appropriate answer to anything I ask....

Brightmail certainly sounds like it might be what has caused this welcome decrease in mail received in HotMail.

June

 

You're welcome. Hopefully the filters might also reduce the amount of spam originating from Hotmail accounts

 

As you probably know, brett , most of the spam that has Hotmail return addresses does not really originate at Hotmail. I get a lot with spoofed Yahoo addresses, too.

In my more vehement periods, I go through the mail and trace the message to the originating ISP. Writing them a letter often stops the mails, but not often enough. In addition, sending copies to abuse@hotmail.com gets them working on it. They don't seem to like their possibly undeserved reputation as a spam source and are willing to take legal action to prevent people from using Hotmail fake addresses.

 

I imagine you’re right. It’s been a long time since I have received any UCE so am not at all familiar the current routing processes.

I too used to occasionally track down the source (mainly late at night during bouts of insomnia!) and send to the relevant parties a note which included the following paragraph:-

A note to America On-Line, Hotmail, AT&T and other ISPs who frequently find themselves referenced in bogus return addresses: Parties who claim to be sending mail from your domains when they are in fact not doing so are committing fraud. Spam e-mail typically references telephone numbers, physical addresses or web pages which are not bogus. If someone has used your domain for a bogus return address, please don't tell us about it. We urge you to find the party responsible and prosecute them.