GeekSugar

Yummy Links: From French Dips to Spam

YumSugar — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 11:01:30 PDT

Make a French dip in honor of Bastille Day. - Food Republic
Tips for hosting a Harry Potter screening party. - The Daily Meal
Top Chef asked Texas tourism boards to pay for filming in Texas. - Eater
From nachos to pizza, creative ways to make s'mores. - KitchenDaily
See which chain restaurants are pushing healthier menu items for kids. - Grub Street SF
Expand your cooking repertoire by using farro. - The FN Dish
Yelp will go public sometime in the next year. - PC Mag
Spam: not such a mystery meat after all. - TLC

Source: Flickr User stu_spivack

How-To: Stop Email Spamming

SavvySugar — Tue, 31 May 2011 03:05:16 PDT

A community member was having trouble unsubcribing from Monster.com emails and reached out to the Savvy Confessions group for help. Here's the advice of one anonymous reader.

To comply with CanSpam all commercial email sent is supposed to have a snail mail address and at the very best a phone number you can reach them at. If they are not honoring your unsubscribe after 10 business days then you should write or call and complain. Also, mark the email itself as spam in your email client. The higher the number of spam complaints is great feedback that the company is doing something wrong. If you're still receiving unwanted email add the From address to your banned email list or set up a filter that will automatically dump anything from that sender straight into the Trash folder.

Do you have any tips for unsubscribing? Share them in the comments below! Remember, you can ask your own career- and finance-related questions anonymously in the Savvy Confessions group for a chance to be featured on SavvySugar and advised by fellow Savvy readers.

One Fast Way to Stop Spam Texts

Leta Shy — Tue, 24 May 2011 05:08:25 PDT

My work phone number must have had an illustrious history before being assigned to me, because I've gotten several calls from debt collectors and tons of texts from spam marketers since the day I got it. Recently, I realized that the frequency of "how to become a secret shopper" and "ways to get a car loan" texts meant that it was time to find a way to block spam texts.

Most of you have also received unwanted spam texts too, so I know you share my frustration! And even though almost 90 percent of all emails sent last year were spam, somehow the occasional junk email that gets through to my inbox is not as annoying as its SMS counterpart; after all, you don't have to pay for emails from a shady marketer like you may have to for your incoming texts.

So how do you stop spammers from texting you? While some recommend replying "STOP," I'm not convinced that doing this would work and not, say, alert the offender of your working cell phone number. So instead, I use a simple recommendation for reducing the amount of junk texts you get. Read about it after the break.

The Latest Target For Spam: Facebook Events

Kristen Hawley — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 04:22:46 PDT

The time following a major email breach is a smart time to remind yourself how to stay safe. But email isn't the only way that spammers and other users of ill repute can gain access to you and your digital life. Now spammers are trying a new approach to gain access: Facebook Events.

Find out more after the jump.

What to Do After Your Email Account Gets Hacked

GeekSugar — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 11:15:50 PDT

I've mentioned before that I've left a few old email addresses open after switching to a new mail program, and most of you admitted to doing the same. Well, here's one reason you (and I) might want to reconsider that stance. An old email address I left open and checked once a week or so was hacked, and for three days sent spammy messages to all of the contacts in my address book.

Since I hadn't given that address out in years, I hadn't talked to many of the spam recipients for quite a while. Finally yesterday, a friend sent me a message on Facebook to let me know about the spam. I was mortified! Find out what I did next, and learn what steps you should take if your email address gets hacked after the break.

13 Facts About the Internet in 2010

Kristy Korcz — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 02:00:09 PST

The world wide web is a huge place, and it's growing every year. Based on data compiled by Focus research firm, 2010 was huge for emails, Facebook, YouTube videos, and spam. Oh, spam. Check out these fascinating facts about what the Internet has been up to in the past year, and get ready for your mind to be blown.

Facebook's Latest Release May Be a Target For Spam

Kristen Hawley — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 07:30:43 PST

Facebook introduced its brand new "Modern Messaging System" earlier this week, and now security experts are saying it could be a target for spammers. Though according to Facebook, new measures are put into place to protect users, including an aggressive, third-party spam filter that will "supplement our spam detection and protection for messages sent from email addresses off of Facebook."

Find out why these new email addresses could pose a problem when you read more.

Daily Tech: Dangerous Spam Hits Facebook

GeekSugar — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 10:00:25 PDT

Don't click on any "LOL is this you?" chat messages in Facebook - Switched
Make your own home theater from Ikea bookcases - Lifehacker
The iPhone is so easy to understand, even cats can use it - Urlesque
Was the new iPod ousted by an accessory leak? - Gizmodo
Tips for women in male-dominated careers (like tech) - Glo

How to Apologize For Sending a Spam Email

GeekSugar — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:30:50 PDT

A few months ago an old email account of mine was hacked and started sending spam to everyone in my contact list. I've already posted a guide on how I handled it, but when the same thing recently happened to a co-worker, she was wondering how to appropriately apologize to friends and former colleagues that she hadn't talked to in years. Though you may be embarrassed, sending an email to let these people know that you are sorry is good form. See my top five tips on writing your apology email when you read more.

Geek Tip: Pre-Label Your Gmail Addy to Sort Out Spam

GeekSugar — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 03:47:01 PDT

Although my spam folder isn't totally out of control, it does fill up faster than I'd like it to. It seems that no matter how hard you try at keeping your email private - only giving it out on a need-to-know, or sign-up basis - it can end up in the wrong (read: unsolicited) hands.

This little trick is modified from a tip I gave you a while back: you can add the plus sign at the end of your gmail address to sort email into specified folders. This is not only great for organization, but it can also alert you when someone has sold your email address for unsolicited spam. Find out how after the break.