Mac

Windows

14-day trial

ChoiceMail is a spam-blocking system based on the premise that all incoming email is assumed to be spam until senders have obtained permission (registered) to send you email. This may seem a bit of an extreme and awkward solution, but it is certainly an interesting approach to eliminating all that nauseating junk email.

Unapproved senders are automatically offered the opportunity to register. The registration process requires manual intervention by the sender, thereby eliminating all automatic spamming systems. This process is completely automatic and you are not disturbed until somebody actually submits a registration request.

Incoming messages from senders unknown to you are held up and the sender is sent a message with a link to a page on the Digiportal site and asked to fill in a form explaining why he or she wants to contact you. If senders do not register after a set period, their messages are quietly deleted. Existing senders in your address book can be automatically imported into ChoiceMail so that they are preapproved. ChoiceMail also preapproves anyone to whom you first send a message.

Note: ChoiceMail works only with standard POP3 mail systems. It does not currently work with Web-based email systems such as Hotmail, Yahoo Mail, MSN or AOL.

Web link: www.digiportal.com

Free

MailWasher is another tool in the ongoing fight against spam (junk email). It can let you see email on the server before downloading and so delete unwanted messages (this facility will already be available to many of you via your ISP), but of more interest is its ability to bounce unwanted email back to the senders, making them think you (or your email address) no longer exist. Sounds great!

Web link: www.mailwasher.net

Mac OS

NOTE: The Mac programs are mostly in archived 'HQX' (BinHex) files – they can be extracted with several applications, including Stuffit Expander (which is on the CD...). Clicking on the links below should set the process in motion. You may receive a message that the file cannot be loaded into Simple Text — if so, start Stuffit and then open the HQX file you want from within Stuffit.

eMail Verifier
v1.1
(OS 8.x+)
Shareware

eMail Verifier can verify over 10 emails per second, checking that addressees are valid. It can verify single emails or massive lists at high speed. eMail Verifier can save you time and money by maintaining a clean email contact list. Addresses for email are extracted from a Domain Naming Server (DNS) and eMail Verifier tries to connect with SMTP servers and simulate the sending of a message. It does not actually send the message – eMail Verifier disconnects as soon as the mail server informs the program whether the address exists or not.

In this unregistered shareware version you will have a 'nag' screen at launch and a 15-address limit.

Web link: www.maxprog.com

30-day trial

Mail Beacon alerts you when new messages arrive and/or when messages are deleted. It can also filter email without downloading it, and acts as an online email client. Mail Beacon supports both POP3 and IMAP4.

Web link: www.bainsware.com