Spamming sleazebags ruining e-mail

I wish I had the answer. I don’t, but I’ve taken some small steps of my own.

First, I will not open e-mail attachments, period, unless I know the item is coming beforehand or have extremely good reasons to believe it’s not carrying an evil payload. If you want me to see a file such as a PDF document, post it on a Web site and let me know where to find it.

Second, I’m being more selective. I have several private e-mail addresses that I give out only to a small number of people for vital communications.

Third, I’m trying to get away from e-mail as much as possible in any event. My favorite way of communicating online is instant messaging.

Dan Gillmor —Spamming sleazebags ruining e-mail (SiliconValley.com)