Free Anti-spam Aplication.

[Jaime Andrés]

I have just found a web-site that provides some very interesting free applications, including Kens Spam filter which has a unique way of dealing with spammers. This app can be found on this link http://www.nonags.com/nonags/emas.html
Just browsing around there seems to be a lot of useful stuff. Another plus point is there are quite a few download sites to choose from.

[locustfurnace]

Was reading the anti-spam filter you posted, and a quote from the description.

When a message arrives from an unknown user the message is held and a reply generated and sent back to the sender asking them to reply back with a subject line that contains a keyword, this keyword is the letters KSF followed by a short serial number.
I see a problem there, rem that most spam is automated, its not directly addressed to you, noticed the incremental names in the address line, in your case, lets say your e-mail address is J.andres, you might also notice similar names in the To: such as K.andres, L.andres, M.andres. This is incrementally changing the address. This is the definitive SPAM of SPAM.
The problem with the program mentiond above is that it sends back an e-mail to the spammers. With your email address in the From box. Yes, the program is trying to determine if the user will reply back to confirm its a legit e-mail, but now the spammers will determine that your e-mail address is a live one. They then will add it to the live box, and you just guaranteed yourself hundreds more spam e-mails.
Most spam e-mail also include the link that says, if you want to be removed, please send back a reply to this address, they are not going to remove you from the list, this just confirms that an e-mail address they sent the spam to, is a working, address. So add that e-mail address to the live box, send more spam.
So thats basically what your doing, your telling spammers, "Hey this e-mail address is live, please send me more spam!"
The best way to deal with spam is to just create a filter based on each one you receive, OR build a filter on the ones you want to keep - it would require less work, have all the good emails your receiving from your friends sent to a specific folder, and the rest goes to to trash by default.

You should atleast have 1 free e-mail account on a free service, such as Yahoo, and use that e-mail address when signing up for software, posting to forums where you address is in the public, where robots could pluck it.
Plus services such as yahoo maintain block lists, spam lists to help filter the e-mail for you.
Keep your ISP's assigned e-mail address for friends who don't send you chain e-mails, sign ya up for free e-cards (which most sites are just using the 'free' e-card service to collect e-mail addresses).

[Jaime Andrés]

Yes I can see your point. I think that unless the spammer can give the valid reply code the mail is blocked or deleted, but as you rightly point out he has your e-mail address and can pass it to other spammers or use another of his many hundred addresses.
I must admit to using McAfee Spamkiller and boucing back an error message.
Having said that the spammers probably know it is an artificially generated response.

The original message was received at %DATETIME

----- The following addresses had permanent fatal errors -----
<%EMAIL>

----- Transcript of session follows -----
... while talking to %POP3:
>>> RCPT To:<%EMAIL>
<<< 550 <%EMAIL>... User unknown
550 <%EMAIL>... User unknown

[locustfurnace]

Yes they can, as the e-mails envelope will not be addressed properly. As bouncing e-mail will happen on the daemon, not the client side, so it will be enveloped by the mailer daemon on the server, Your bounce will not be altered correctly, although I would have to check into this to confirm it. I use Kmail sometimes which includes the ability to bounce e-mail back also. But i can also bounce mail back from the server as I run my own e-mail server.
I think the best solution is just to trash it. Less internet congestion also.