Spam and Autoresponders - How They Do It

By Kurt Naulaerts

In today's virtual world the spam or unwished-for messages is a real issue. It appears the spammers are using autoresponders to do their dirty work. This is bad for everyone who uses an autoresponder with good motives. Their messages are commonly understood as spam making the owner wonder what's wrong at times. Sometimes a user may also ask why their messages are blocked or reported as spam.

The autoresponders do their job and respond to valid emails indiscriminately. Spam messages are usually forged and they seem to be from a third party. If an autoresponder receives a forged message they are going to send misdirected e-mails. That is how an autoresponder can become a spam source itself and its messages are blocked or reported. Many times users don't know how to notice if this begins to happen or to handle it.

The usual autoresponder is a simple program designed for normal e-mail users to inform their contacts if the user is available to answer certain question or just to send the preset message. These messages are often sent to wrong people and that's how spam is born. How can you fix that? It's pretty simple. Just stop using this kind of autoresponder and answer the mail yourself for the transitional period. If you're too busy to answer the emails yourself you may have to hire someone for the time being.

A big problem in the spam world is the "misdirected bounces." If a mail server takes a message and can't deliver it, it will send a bounce mail to the original sender but regularly this message will be misdirected. How can you fix that? Upgrade or configure the post server in a way to avoid this problem. You can do this by setting your software to reject the message or accept it once and for all. Do not let it make the decision of delivery for you after the software received the message.

Sometimes the autoresponders are sending messages to their contact list, but without permission. The folks that receive these messages consider them unsolicited and therefore spam. If you own a mail sever you must consider these changes because today's spam is a difficulty. Lots of mail servers have been blacklisted due to spam issues. Fortunately there are methods to prevent your autoresponder from turning into a spam tool. By doing some research online you will discover new methods that are developed daily. If you really don't wish to become a spammer the last option is to stop using an autoresponder, because these programs do a great job.

Spam is a huge issue when it comes to online advertising. If at any moment you are leery of what you're doing, you can always talk with a pro who can advise you in the right direction. Autoresponders were made to ease the life of busy professionals but unfortunately used for the wrong purpose can taint their good use. Do some research and always be a defensive purchaser. Know what you're purchasing before you do buy it. - 29941

About the Author:

Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

Enter email address here