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Tip of the Week, November 21, 2011

If you are looking to block spam, don’t use the service called Spam Blocker by Earthlink.  EarthLink’s Spam Blocker forces the person replying to your e-mail to go to a webpage and fill out information and one of those code boxes.  I just spent a half hour trying to reply to a customer’s e-mail looking for my help.  I tried five times to complete the information/code box.  Each time it failed.  Then I called customer service.   There was just one number listed on the site, and that turned out to be sales.  That person directed me to call another number.  That turned out to also be sales.  That second person gave me a number to call, but it was the number I had previously dialed twice.  I told him that, and they transferred me to customer service instead.  The representative I spoke with finally told me it was up to the person who sent the e-mail to unblock me.  How Completely Ridiculous!  I had just finished telling them I could not reach the person at all, so how could I tell them my e-mail was not getting through!   Unfortunately, due to this Spam Blocker program I am unable to help someone who e-mailed me.  If you are an EarthLink user, I feel badly that there could be many people who are unable to reach you because they have gone through the same thing I just did.  I recommend without hesitation using Gmail…it does an amazing job limiting spam not only from my Gmail account, but also my two business accounts that I filter into Gmail.  There is no need for a ridiculous spam blocker that requests a person you are trying to contact to return an e-mail.  Give Gmail a try…having used most of the major online  e-mail services, I find it to be the best.