You must, at some point or another, have received spam and know the frustration and annoyance associated with it. Is it possible to stop spam entirely? Probably not, but with some simple precautions and software available online you can significantly reduce it.

An important step to take is to install Anti-Spam software, which will automatically \"junk\" suspect email. There are two main types- some delete mail on the server and some delete mail on your home computer. The nice thing about programs which delete mail directly on the server is that it is done before you have to wait (and pay) to download spam.

These are my recommendations for Anti-Spam programs:

•    MailWasher - http://www.mailwasher.net
As with many software tools on the net, MailWasher comes in a free version and a paid-for pro version. The great thing about the free version is that it is completely free, never expires and will work with almost any email program. MailWasher works by deleting spam before it is downloaded to your computer.

•    Cloudmark Desktop - http://www.cloudmark.com/desktop/
Cloudmark pioneered community-based spam filtering, their community now over a million strong. This feature is very powerful as PC users are identifying potential spam. There are versions for Outlook, Outlook Express, Thunderbird and Windows Mail. 15-day free trial.

•    Spam Bully - http://www.spambully.com/
Spam Bully has a range of automated spam identification tools, and generally gets good results. One of the features I like most is the toolbar which integrates into your mail program, so you can classify and manage your emails quickly and easily. 14-day free trial.

•    MailFrontier Desktop - http://www.mailfrontier.com/products_matador.html
MailFrontier automatically learns what email you like and dislike. In this way its performance improves the more you use it. This program is really easy to install and use as a 30-day free trial.

You can also reduce spam by simply following these Golden Rules:

Don\'t reply, EVER! Don’t even click on a link! If you do then the spammer knows you exist and that they get your attention, in which case your address is stuck on the spam list.

NEVER buy anything from a spammer. Firstly, don’t make it worth their efforts, and secondly you’ll only end up getting even more spam once they know that you buy.

Make use of a secondary email address that you won’t mind getting spammed, when signing on for services on the Net.