UseBestMail Tips

The first column of settings, Message Handling Instructions is used to direct non-UseBestMail messages wherever you want them to go.

* Display Good mail, Automatically delete Badmail - is used to completely reject all non-UseBestMail messages. They are automatically deleted from the server and not downloaded to your computer. This is a good setting to use if you have set up a separate UseBestMail account as described below.

* Display Good mail, Hold Bad mail on server - using this option, you can download all UseBestMail stamped messages in a batch and leave all others on the server. This is a useful option if you want to work with the good mail separately from the bad mail or your mail service provider automatically deletes messages not downloaded after a specific amount of time.
* Display Bad mail, Hold Good mail on Server - use this option to download and work with BadMail only in a batch fashion, leaving UseBestMail stamped mail on the server for download later.
* Display All, Mark message subject lines [G], [B], [C], [Q] - This is a very flexible option. When you download a message the subject line is marked with one of the above symbols. You can use these symbols to quickly and easily filter your emails so they are directed into different folders depending on their category. The symbols are:

[G] Indicates a UseBestMail stamped and verified message. This is guaranteed to be non-spam.
[B] All messages lacking stamps are marked [B] for bad. Most of this will be junk.
[C] Indicates a UseBestmail stamped and verified message for which the stamp was paid, i.e., a 'commercial' message. These are generally good messages, at least good enough for someone to have paid real money to send them to you. Some people may wish to direct these into their own folder.
[Q] is used for messages having stamps but unverified because the UseBestMail verification server was not running at the time of download. These will generally be good messages, but are not guaranteed genuine. A message bearing a counterfit stamp will be marked [B] if the server is running, but might get away as a [Q] if the server is not running.
[W] applies to messages authorized by being on the whitelist.

The recruitment instructions are used to specify how you want to notify your correspondents about UseBestMail. The more users you recruit the more UseBestMail you'll receive. So it is a good idea to participate in recruitment.

There are two main methods of recruitment used. The first is a banner notice automatically afixed to the end of your email text which invites your correspondents to UseBestMail. Select the Append Notice to Outgoing Mail checkbox to enable this option.

The second method of recruiting UseBestMail participants to send them an email either saying their non-UseBestMail message would have been handled better if they UseBestMail and providing a link to the UseBestMail web site. You enable this option by checking Send a Message to Non-UseBestMail senders. When this option is selected, any non-UseBestMail message you receive is automatically responded to by a mail-message of your choice. You can see the default message by clicking the Load or Modify Recruitment Message button. Here you can do limited editing of a message or select a message file of your own. This message should be composed using HTML. An editor or word processor such as Microsoft Word, among others, can be used to compose and save an HTML file for this purpose. The Test button lets you send the message to yourself so you see how it looks in an email.

Filtering is the method whereby emails are distributed to various folders within your email program. It is therefore a part of the email program, not of UseBestMail. Fortunately, most of the email programs make it quite easy to set up, and UseBestMail's [G], [B], [C] and [Q] marks make it even easier. Just specify the mark to identify and which folder you want it to be directed to.

Another recruiting mechanism has even more functionality. If you select Use Challenge/Response with Whitelist, the message returned to the sender has a link that enables the sender to verify that he is a person rather than a machine by performing a simple task, the entry of a few numbers. When this task is successfully done, a message is sent to your computer which does two things. It unlocks the sender's email (the one that triggered the response) and adds the sender's name to your whitelist. Once added to the whitelist, a person can send you mail from then on. This is very useful for situations where the sender can't UseBestMail himself because his system is AOL, Apple, or Linux, for example.

After a period of time, messages that are challenged, but not responded to, will be deleted automatically. You specify the number of days to hold such messages with the Hold Bad Mail For (days) entry.

You may find it convenient, particularly in the beginning, to dedicate a separate email address for UseBestMail exclusively. Many ISP's provide the capability of multiple email addresses, so for example, I can have both me@usebestamil.com and myself@usebestmail.com. By dedicating one of these addesses exclusively to UseBestMail I can select the Display GoodMail, Automatically Delete Badmail option. Since I will provide this address exclusively to people I want to hear from who also UseBestMail, the box will contain nothing but UseBestMail. That's a truly refreshing situation. But if lack of spam makes you lonely, you still have the other mail address to use.

Tips To Get the Most From UseBestMail

Recruitment Instructions:

Message Handling Instructions:

Filtering

Separate eMail Account for UseBestMail