Spam blockers are a bit unique compared to other security programs in that they require a lot a user intervention. Whereas antivirus and firewall programs, for example, tend to be almost "set and forget" then hide out of the way.
Not listed on that list is
Mailwasher Free. Mailwasher is by far my favorite. It's biggest advantage is that it processes your email
on the server. This is vastly different from almost all other spamblockers that require you to first download the entire email (and any potentially malicious attachments) onto your computer, and then analyze and process the email. That, to me, is like inviting the stranger into your house and
then asking what he wants.
However, because it sits between your email client (Outlook, Outlook Express, or any other program) and the mail server, it is a whole new program you need to learn. That said, I find it easy to use.
If you have multiple email accounts (from your ISP, GMail, Yahoo Mail, AOL, etc.) you will need the paid version,
Mailwasher Pro . MWP is the way to go, IMO.
Sadly, many of the reviews are not favorable, much to the frustration of those of us that really like it - because it is obvious the reviewers spent very little time learning it, or tweaking it for their particular computing habits.
For example, this
About.com review reports MWP is good but complains it does not integrate with your email program. IT IS NOT SUPPOSED TO!!! It intentionally sits between your email program and the mail servers.
This
PCMag Review is similar. They just don't get it! They start the review with the same complaint,
"It doesn't integrate with your mail client."Again, it is not supposed to. Then they add,
"With apps like Norton AntiSpam and Qurb, which so tightly integrate with Outlook, your quarantined mail is sitting right there in your e-mail client.". Quarantined, yes, but still downloaded and sitting inside your front door! And what if you don't use Outlook or OE? Does not matter with MW.
Sadly too is most of the reviews are years old and many of the valid issues have been addressed. There is also an excellent free support forum populated with very knowledgeable volunteers who have been using MW for years.
There is currently a whole new version in Beta testing. I've been testing it since October and it is very nice. If you would like to Beta test, toss you hat in
here.
