It Can Happen To The Best Of Us…

A couple of months ago I switched to a cable-based internet service provider because I needed speed and bandwidth. Also, there was a pretty good deal going with digital cable and digital phone. We gadget guys… I had to have it.

The first consequence was I immediately needed to buy a switch to split my signal from the cable modem to two computers. No problem, it wasn’t that expensive and had the added advantage of acting as a physical firewall. Not that I worried too much, my Mac is immune to those “virus thingees.”

The new speed was great! I could see pages much faster, didn’t find myself giving up on a page that loaded a little slower, I could download updates and large files from home and not worry about doing it at work. It was the perfect solution to modern man’s short attention span.

But the best consequence was, by leaving my old email address behind, I left behind all the spam I had been getting! We had been using that old email address for about 10 years. In that time a lot of spammers had added me to their lists. I simply sent out a notice to everyone in my address book that I had “moved” and things went pretty smooth. It was nice to have a “clean” In box everyday. Can you almost hear the other shoe dropping through the air?

But, I am stupid. I was on a site that I go to everyday. I read their columns, participate in forums, all Mac stuff. Don’t ask me which one it was, there are a half dozen on my browser button bar that get read everyday, and I am not sure which one it is. Anyway, I clicked on something that said I could win a free iPod. About halfway through refusing to sign up for a bunch of ads and free trials, I realized my mistake. I backed out and attempted to erase all my data. Too late.

Okay, I know you are all laughing at me. I know better. I teach this stuff in a class for heaven’s sake. Why did I do it? Nobody’s gets stuff for free, nobody gives away a free lunch. Not even to Mac people on Mac-oriented sites. Really.

I guess I thought because it was on a site I had been going to regularly it was legit. When I realized it wasn’t, I tried to undo and thought I had. The very next day I started getting spam from the site. I made a Junk Mail Rule. But it is too late. The stuff is coming in from so many different places. I even considered trying to email the site and asking them to take me off the list. Then I thought, “What, am I crazy?” I am thinking of changing my .mac account information. I don’t even know if I can, and it would be a pain. I never knew how good I had it until it was over…

Learn from me people! Sure this makes a good story. I can use the experience to teach others. But I want my In Box BACK!