1.   What makes CleanMyMailbox different than other server-side spam filter solutions?

CleanMyMailbox takes server-side spam filtering technology a step further. It is very non-invasive, and doesn't force you to use disposable email addresses, route your mail through another mail server, or change MX records that control routing. With CleanMyMailbox, you simply sign-up, and forget about unwanted email. Your mail is filtered multiple times per hour, and you always have access to any filtered mail. It's that simple.

Another notable characteristic that distinguishes CleanMyMailbox from other spam filtering solutions is that it puts the individual mailbox owner in full control of the filtering mechanisms. No longer does the mailbox owner suffer the consequence of global (shared) filter rule sets. This allows for customized filtering to be applied, based on each mailbox owner's specific needs - because we all receive unique types of email.

And, since your unique filtering criteria is defined and activated at the server level, no matter where or when you check your email, it will always be pre-filtered for you, so you see only what you want to see in your InBox. (Of course, you always have access to the filtered email items.)

2. I don't want ANY of my business email filtered. How can I prevent that?

The easiest way to do this is to use CGI forms on your web site that send emails to your mailbox using a "hard-coded" Subject Line, such as: xxxxxxx web site inquiry. Then, enter that subject line into your Subject Line Whitelist in the format:

w_word or phrase in subject line    (must begin with w_)

This tells the cleaner script to automatically whitelist any From: address that contains the specified word or phrase in the Subject Line. Using this feature, your chance of false-positives drops to nearly ZERO!

If you don't have a web site from which to use CGI forms, use the procedure in question 12 and give out only your whitelisted email address(es) to your business acquaintances or publish that address on your business cards.

3.   Can I forward mail from other addresses to one mailbox that is filtered by CleanMyMailbox?

Yes. CleanMyMailbox will filter any mail that is forwarded to the mailbox which is being filtered, based on your custom blacklist and whitelists. But, you MUST enter a forwarding address into your whitelist in the format of:  fa_address@domain.com  for this fowarding to work successfully.

4.   I signed up for CleanMyMailbox, but my mailbox is full of spam / always emtpy. Why?

This could be caused by a couple of things. First, make sure your mailbox email address is not in your Whitelist. Remember, your whitelist is used to compare against the From: and the To: address in each email that is examined. If your mailbox email address is in your Whitelist, no email sent To: your email address is going to be examined for filtering. This is the most common problem that causes the filtering to stop functioning correctly.

Conversely, if your mailbox email address appears in your Blacklist, then everything that arrives at your mailbox will be filtered.

5.   Why are some messages in my spambox so goofy looking, when I try to view them?

Unfortunately, email spammers do not use standardized headers when composing their refuse, and thus the content is not always easily rendered within a web browser, as a consequence. The CleanMyMailbox service focuses on identifying and removing UCE, instead of making sure the presentation of each UCE in your spambox is crystal clear. But, we try to render spambox items as presentable as possible.

Don't worry - if you need to Restore any items to your mailbox, they will display correctly when you view them with your email software!

6.   Much of the spam in my mailbox is being filtered, but I still have some. Why?

CleanMyMailbox uses your custom whitelists and blacklist to decide what is spam, and what is not. However, as with all filtering methodologies, no technology is 100% accurate in removing spam. There are some things you can do to enhance the filtering process. Feel free to use the special B and W icons in the spambox and mailbox previewer to append specific Sender addresses to the blacklist or whitelist, depending on your preferences.

7.   I've whitelisted my favorite newsletter, but it still gets filtered. Why?

Many newsletter publishers use different From: addresses with each mailing. For example, one week it may be: hjur20030103bCentral@msn.com and the following week it may be: hjur20030110bCentral@msn.com  If this is the case, try to find a "part" of the From: address that you can use to whitelist on, in this case: bCentral@msn.com would work. If it's not possible to whitelist on the From: address, try to find a common Subject Line word or phrase to filter on. Add that word or phrase to your Subject Line Whitelist.

8.   Sometimes I notice (No Subject) entries in my spambox Subject lines. Why?

CleanMyMailbox simply moves the email messages into your spambox when filtering. Sometimes, unscrupulous emailers omit the Subject line header in their mailings (thinking this will get a better open response). When CleanMyMailbox encounters this, it will place the value (No subject) into your spambox listing so you can click the link to preview the message.

9.   Does CleanMyMailbox provide any virus protection?

CleanMyMailbox does limited virus checking by looking for attached files that are commonly used to conceal viruses. If it finds such a file in an email message, it will filter it to your spambox, regardless of whether or not the Sender was previously whitelisted. This is a safety precaution. It will append the subject line of such email items with the text: **= POSSIBLE VIRUS =**.