Spam-blocking tools.

Many of us spend a lot of time--too much time--discarding e-mails that we don't need or want. Here's some information, along with the name of a resource that can help block Spam and other unsolicited emails.

Many practitioners and other firm employees receive an overwhelming number of e-mail messages every day. So daunting can be the number of emails some receive that they shudder when they open up to their message list. The problem can be resolved, however, in many ways.

Microsoft Corp., as would be expected, uses technology to help resolve the problem, but they also use human resources to screen and filter messages. Microsoft Corp. chair Bill Gates "literally receives 4 million pieces of mail per day, most of it spam," according to Steve Ballmer, Microsoft Corp.'s chief executive, speaking at the company's Government Leader's forum in Singapore on Thursday, November 18. To manage this mountain of e-mail, Microsoft has special technology that filters only spam sent to Gates. Also, several Microsoft employees work only to ensure nothing unwanted gets into Gates's mailbox. "Literally there's a whole department almost that takes care of it," Ballmer said.

Unfortunately such dedicated resources are not available to many CPA firms. Even if some partners have an assistant to screen and filter messages, consider how those resources may be better used when technology is available that would allow an assistant to focus on other projects and tasks. Technology is in fact available to help minimize spam volume, thereby freeing up employees for more profitable work.

Such technology and its virtues and drawbacks are described the recently published A CPA's Guide to Understanding and Controlling Spam (New York: AICPA, 2004) by Roman H. Kepcyzk, CPA, CITP. Kepcyzk devotes a significant portion of his book to "a variety of lists that organizations can use to minimize spam volume." The following paragraphs are excerpts from the book.

Real-Time Block Lists

One of the more effective tools an organization can deploy to reduce the volume of spam is the use of RBLs (Real-Time Block Lists), which block delivery of known spammers' e-mail to the organization.

The RBL acronym usually stands for real-time block lists, but the terms blacklist or boycott list are also commonly used. The role of RBLs is to identify spammers at their root servers or those servers they use to relay spam, and to maintain a list, which is made available to the public either for free or a...