The problem is Janice,if you've ever bought anthing from anybody online,they have you. I think they're all in cahoots! Just like catalogs. We could save many trees if people wouldn't send you so many! Phil

Not being sure how all this online "business" is operating, how can they get my "main" address, if I never use that one, when purchasing online?

I have a hotmail account set up for just that purpose and the huge amount of email spam I get is also in this other "main" account, that you all can email me at from GW! It is not available publicly, but you can choose to have GW deliver it. It is not until I reply to your personal email that it could be known to anyone, unless it is somehow available from the "private" profile I have here!!!

Am I wrong about that? I don't want to be unfair in my conclusion, if I am wrong!

Again, I always use my hotmail account when purchasing online! Never, the one that the email from "BarBar" showed up in this morning!

Hey Phil--hope you didn't get any of the "ice" that was forecast!

And, actually, I have purchased hosta using my "main" address as I recall, now that I've posted the last comment!

Are you saying, that those businesses may make my address available to others or that it is somehow "public domain"
to be grabbed from their sites, unbeknownst to them?

I'm trying to understand all of this! I really, really, really hate being dogged by that junk!!! And I know it
can't all be coming from here, but I do feel some of it has to be with the "words" that are chosen in the addresses
and subject lines at times! It's happened to often!

janice

I'm a network engineer and I don't understand the ways of the spam mail. It's a mystery to me, as well, how they seem to come up w/ very, very similar variations to names in my address book...email me topics that are ones I've been surfing online, etc. The only thing I can come up w/ is phishing and spyware. It's a losing battle that I hate! Kinda creepy.

I think the spam is pretty creepy too, and after getting a rash of it lately to my account I only use for gardenweb am beginning to think they are the source for a lot of it.

What really creeps me out is when they use your name. I've gotten some stange ones lately that look like weather reports. I never open them just put them in the spam box.

Do you guys get the ones that tell you they are a person from another country needing your help and they are hoping you will keep this corrospondance private? I only have 1 e-mail that I use for everything, I have another one I set up, but being technological challenged as I am I can't remember how to switch to it:( I keep getting the ones that say I have won the lottery too. I have learned not to open anything unless I know the person. Oh yeah and I got a nasty one too, that one really ticked me off, what if one of my kids had seen that? something to do with male enhancement, could see the pic just fine, but couldn't understand the paragraph. GW is really the only place I go to for the most part, but I do plant identification lookups, Travis gets on the Mustang sites for car parts, thats it, they are just plain creepy.

Yep, Meesh--I get all of those you've mentioned, as well. You know what is really creepy, is that there have been instances where some folks believed those spams about taking care of their banking in this country and you'll receive a portion of it--went overseas to the source of the spam to firm up the deal and never returned, and never to be heard from again! I heard of at least one like that specifically and I have also,heard there have been others.

You'd think, folks would eventually learn, there is no "quick-get-rich" scheme that doesn't come with a huge price tag, afterall--usually it is a complete and utter loss, instead!

I haven't gotten the "you've ticked me off" one yet! Maybe I will now!! LOL

janice