How to calculate your spam index

Wide Area Networking This newsletter is sponsored by SWsoft Templates for More Efficient Virtualization Management SWsoft Virtuozzo, an OS level server virtualization product, addresses the challenges faced by today's datacenters through its unique template-based approach to software provisioning. Using templates, administrators can consolidate OS and application management so that only a single instance of a software package is required and managed on a physical machine regardless of the number of virtual environments that use the software. Network World's Wide Area Networking Newsletter, 07/19/07 How to calculate your spam index By Steve Taylor and Jim Metzler We recently wrote about some research that Peter Brockmann had done concerning spam and productivity. We invited Peter to share a few insights from the Brockmann & Company’s research and today we have the first in a series of three notes on this topic. Peter reports: “Despite the best efforts of antispam technologies, spam messages are the third most frequent source of business e-mail after coworkers and customers. An average of 25 hours a year are wasted by each user dealing with spam. Users handle an average of 2,200 spam messages each year. “Part of the problem is how we measure the process of e-mail quality. The typical measurement of antispam technology involves the bombardment of the target technology with millions of bad and good e-mail. The lab then counts those correctly trapped, those incorrectly trapped, and those incorrectly passed. This is largely an ineffective approach to measuring technology performance since none of these tests are based on real-world users’ experience. Network World Buyers Guides Find the right products for your enterprise - fast. With seven categories - security, storage, convergence and VoIP, network infrastructure, network applications, wireless and LAN/WAN management - you can quickly pinpoint the hardware or software you need. With the side-by-side comparison tool you can evaluate product features and make the best purchase decisions for your enterprise. Click here to go to the Buyers Guides now. “That’s what we invented the Spam Index. It’s a simple calculation that any user can and should do. Answer these four questions: * How many spam messages do you receive on an average day (multiple by 20)? * How many minutes per day do you spend dealing with spam (inspecting junk folders, deleting messages) (multiply by 20)? * How many resend requests did you make or receive last month? * How many good messages were trapped in your spam filter last month? “Add these four numbers up and that’s your Spam Index. “You can compare your Spam Index over time, as changes to the e-mail system are implemented and as a comparison against peers and competitors.” We’ll hear more from Peter on this topic in the next newsletter. In the meantime, to see how you compare download a copy of The Problem with E-mail report at Webtorials. * Editor’s Note: For more discussions about e-mail and messaging, see the Unified Communications Newsletter.   What do you think? Post a comment on this newsletter

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Contact the author: Steve Taylor is president of Distributed Networking Associates and publisher/editor-in-chief of Webtorials. For more detailed information on most of the topics discussed in this newsletter, connect to Webtorials, the premier site for Web-based educational presentations, white papers, and market research. Taylor can be reached at taylor@webtorials.com Jim Metzler is the Vice President of Ashton, Metzler & Associates, a consulting organization that focuses on leveraging technology for business success. Jim assists vendors to refine product strategies, service providers to deploy technologies and services, and enterprises evolve their network infrastructure. He can be reached via e-mail. This newsletter is sponsored by SWsoft Templates for More Efficient Virtualization Management SWsoft Virtuozzo, an OS level server virtualization product, addresses the challenges faced by today's datacenters through its unique template-based approach to software provisioning. Using templates, administrators can consolidate OS and application management so that only a single instance of a software package is required and managed on a physical machine regardless of the number of virtual environments that use the software. ARCHIVE Archive of the Wide Area Networking Newsletter. BONUS FEATURE IT PRODUCT RESEARCH AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Get detailed information on thousands of products, conduct side-by-side comparisons and read product test and review results with Network World’s IT Buyer’s Guides. Find the best solution faster than ever with over 100 distinct categories across the security, storage, management, wireless, infrastructure and convergence markets. Click here for details. PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered to your inbox each day. Extend your knowledge with a print subscription to the Network World newsweekly, Apply here today. International subscribers, click here. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World newsletter, change your e-mail address or contact us, click here. This message was sent to: networking.world@gmail.com. Please use this address when modifying your subscription. Advertising information: Write to Associate Publisher Online Susan Cardoza Network World, Inc., 118 Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772 Copyright Network World, Inc., 2007