Now, it's early in the morning and I've been reading a lot of mail, but it appears that webtv management has unblocked rootsweb so our webtv subbers can get mail from us again. I have been told they were overrun with complaints (including one from me). What this means is that hopefully, I won't lose anymore of you! Thanks for your help and understanding, I don't know how many got kicked off - but thank you for your help. Again - the e-mail addresses I listed were NOT spammers - they were the ones who had been kicked off by webtv or were in danger of being kicked off. A couple asked me exactly what spam is. Spam is junk mail that is sent to everyone on a particular list. There are many companies who hack their way into a mailing list or server, and send out thousands of junk e-mails advertising everything from get rich schemes to porno ads. It is not only disgusting to the readers, but puts a strain on rootsweb with thousands upon thousands of these going out at the same time. Rootsweb added a very swift computer "detective" that sniffs out possible spam e-mails. The list owners are sent a copy of the spam with the notice that a certain msg appears to be spam and lets us, as listowners, make a decision as to whether it is or not. We can release or forward the e-mail in question or trash it. Rootsweb so far has been running a 100% record. IF something gets through rootsweb, I have blocked it by "closing" my lists. This means that only subscribers can post to these lists. So if someone sends out a blind ad to SOUTH-CENTRAL-KENTUCKY and is not a subber, the msg comes to me and I just trash it. The only way a spam can get thru is for these companies/individuals to subscribe to the list - send out a "bulk mailing" and then unsub. This has happened - it's hard to determine if every subber is legit. If the latter happens, I of course will see it, and there is a way I can go into the utility program set up for each of our lists and do a global ban. By putting that e-mail address on a reject list - nothing they send through will can get to you, the readers. Once in awhile we have to sub some of you manually. Yahoo-com is considered a spammer by rootsweb. It was a hard decision I am sure but a tremendous amount of junk mail or spam comes from yahoo. So - if a yahoo user sends in a sub notice, it is bounced. I catch it, I am able to manually subscribe that individual. It doesn't mean that the yahoo user trying to sub is a spammer! Pacbell is having massive problems and all of us are getting a LOT of bounces from messages sent thru them. Still working on that one - out of my control right now. Occasionally attworldnet has problems ... they all have their moments! Thanks for your help and comments and I'll try to contact anyone I might have lost along the line. This ends Spam 101 and I'm going to have some coffee and try to wake up a little more. Have a wonderful weekend! Sandi Sandi Gorin - A Kentucky Colonel 205 Clements Ave., Glasgow, KY 42141 (502) 651-9114 PUBLISHING: http://www.members.tripod.com/~GorinS/index.html BARREN CO OBITS, WILLS, DEEDS & BIBLE RECORDS: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Ky/BarrenObits KYRESEARCHING TIPS: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Ky/Tips KYBIOGRAPHIES: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Ky/Bios