SPAM

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What is Spam?
AMERITEL Acceptable Use Policy
Tips to Reduce Spam
My friends Email is being rejected as Spam
I'm still getting Spam
ADJUST YOUR SPAM FILTER
Spam Tools
Stamp out Spam

WHAT IS SPAM?

Junk email (also known as Spam) costs everyone, wasting time and money. Spam is unsolicited e-mail, as opposed to something for which you signed up, such as a mailing list, registering on a web site, companies you've made purchases from, etc.

Fighting Spam is a never ending battle. Each year, over 18,000,000,000 (that's right - 18 TRILLION) Spam e-mails are sent. Some of the tricks that Spammers use include fake addresses, using web servers with open relays, and changing their outgoing e-mail addresses in order to fill our mailboxes with their e-mails.

AMERITEL currently uses a Spam program with more than 80,000 blocked addresses and domains to help reduce junk e-mail.

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AMERITEL ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY

Scope. This Acceptable Use Policy (this "Policy") governs the usage of AMERITEL.NET’s products and services (the "Services"). This Policy is incorporated by reference into each contract AMERITEL.NET enters into with a customer (each, a "Customer") for the use of such Services. AMERITEL.NET may modify this Policy at any time without notice. In addition, this Policy is incorporated by reference into the Terms and Conditions applicable to AMERITEL.NET’s Web site so that no person who utilizes AMERITEL.NET’s Web site (regardless of whether that person is a Customer) may take any action utilizing AMERITEL.NET’s Web site that a Customer would be prohibited to take utilizing the Services.
Purpose. The purpose of this Policy is to enhance the quality of the Services and to protect AMERITEL.NET’s customers, and the Internet community as a whole, from illegal, irresponsible, or disruptive Internet activities. This Policy applies to each Customer and its employees, agents, contractors or other users of such Customer who obtain Services from AMERITEL.NET (each such person being a "User"). Each User should use common sense and good judgment in connection with the Services. Parents or guardians should always supervise minors in using the Internet. Parents and guardians should remain aware at all times of what is on the Internet and how the minors under their care are using the Services and the Internet.
Prohibited Uses. Users may not:
1. Utilize the Services to send mass unsolicited e-mail to third parties.
2. Utilize the Services in connection with any illegal activity. Without limiting the general application of this rule, Users may not:
  1. Utilize the Services to copy material from third parties (including text, graphics, music, videos or other copyrightable material) without proper authorization;
  2. Utilize the Services to misappropriate or infringe the patents, copyrights, trademarks or other intellectual property rights of any third party;
  3. Utilize the Services to traffic in illegal drugs, illegal gambling, obscene materials or other any products or services that are prohibited under applicable law; or
  4. Utilize the Services in any manner that violates applicable law.
3. Utilize the Services in connection with any tortious or actionable activity. Without limiting the general application of this rule, Users may not:
  1. Utilize the Services to publish or disseminate information that (A) constitutes slander, libel or defamation, (B) publicizes the personal information or likeness of a person without that person’s consent or (C) otherwise violates the privacy rights of any person.
  2. Utilize the Services to threaten persons with bodily harm, to make harassing or abusive statements or messages, or to solicit the performance of acts or services that are illegal under applicable law.
4. Utilize the Services in connection with any other disruptive or abusive activity. Without limiting the general application of this rule, Users may not:
  1. Utilize the Services to cause denial of service attacks against AMERITEL.NET or other network hosts or Internet users or to otherwise degrade or impair the operation of AMERITEL.NET’s servers and facilities or the servers and facilities of other network hosts or Internet users;
  2. Post messages or software programs that consume excessive CPU time or storage space;
  3. Utilize the Services to offer mail services, mail forwarding capabilities, POP accounts or auto responders other than for the User’s own account;
  4. Utilize the Services to resell access to CGI scripts installed on AMERITEL.NET’s servers;
  5. Utilize the Services to subvert, or assist others in subverting, the security or integrity of any AMERITEL.NET systems, facilities or equipment;
  6. Utilize the Services to gain unauthorized access to the computer networks of AMERITEL.NET or any other person;
  7. Utilize the Services to provide passwords or access codes to persons not authorized to receive such materials by the operator of the system requiring the password or access code;
  8. Utilize the Services to (A) forge the signature or other identifying mark or code of any other person, (B) impersonate or assume the identity or any other person, or (C) engage in any other activity (including "spoofing") to attempt to deceive or mislead other persons regarding the true identity of the User (excluding the use of anonymous remailers or Internet nicknames);
  9. Utilize the Services to distribute or post any virus, worm, Trojan horse, or computer code intended to disrupt services, destroy data, destroy or damage equipment, or disrupt the operation of the Services;
  10. Utilize the Services to conduct port scans or other invasive procedures against any server (except any server for which the User is an authorized system administrator);
  11. Utilize the Services to distribute, advertise or promote software or services that have the primary purpose of encouraging or facilitating unsolicited commercial e-mail or Spam;
  12. Utilize the Services to solicit or collect, or distribute, advertise or promote, e-mail address lists for the purpose of encouraging or facilitating unsolicited commercial e-mail or Spam;
  13. Utilize the Services in any manner that might subject AMERITEL.NET to unfavorable regulatory action, subject AMERITEL.NET to any liability for any reason, or adversely affect AMERITEL.NET’s public image, reputation or goodwill, including, without limitation, sending or distributing sexually explicit, hateful, vulgar, racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable materials as determined by AMERITEL.NET in its sole discretion; or
  14. Utilize the Services in any other manner to interrupt or interfere with the Internet usage of other persons.
Violations
1. Disclaimer. AMERITEL.NET expressly disclaims any obligation to monitor its Customers and other Users with respect to violations of this Policy. AMERITEL.NET has no liability or responsibility for the actions of any of its Customers or other Users or any content any User may post on any Web site.
2. Reporting Non-Copyright Violations. AMERITEL.NET encourages Users to report violations of this policy by e-mail to: spamabuse@ameritel.net, including in any such report the name of the offending domain (for example, abc.com) and the type of abuse (for example, Spam, illegal acts, harassment, etc.) in the "subject" field of the e-mail.
3. Reporting Copyright Violations. AMERITEL.NET complies with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA"). AMERITEL.NET encourages Users to report an alleged copyright infringement involving a user by sending a notice that complies with the DMCA to:
  
  DMCA Notices
  AMERITEL Internet Services
  P.O. Box 2106
  Leonardtown, MD 20650
4. Remedies. If AMERITEL.NET learns of a violation of this Policy, AMERITEL.NET will respond to the applicable Customer and may, in AMERITEL.NET’s sole discretion, take any of the following actions, in accordance with the severity and duration of the violation:
  1. Warning the Customer;
  2. Suspending the offending Customer from the Services;
  3. Terminating the offending Customer from the Services;
  4. Imposing fees or charges on the offending Customer account in accordance with the applicable service contract;
  5. Removing the offending content; and
  6. Taking other action in accordance with this Policy, the applicable service contract or applicable law.
Reservation of Rights. AMERITEL.NET reserves the right to cooperate with appropriate legal authorities in investigations of claims of illegal activity involving AMERITEL.NET’s Services, Customers and other Users. AMERITEL.NET reserves all other rights to respond to violations of this Policy to the extent of applicable law and in accordance with any applicable contractual obligations.

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TIPS TO REDUCE YOUR SPAM

NEVER respond to Spam, not even to try to let them know that you do not want to receive anymore of their e-mails. This just confirms that your e-mail address is a valid e-mail address and will just result in receiving even more Spam.
Log onto Direct Marketing Association. It's a free service, designed to cut down on the amount of unsolicited commercial e-mail consumers receive in their e-mail in-boxes.
Use the Block Sender and Message Rules features on your mail program to aid in reducing Spam.
Use I-Mail message processing rules (Change Processing Rules). I-Mail allows you to choose to delete the e-mail from the server so you never see the e-mail in question (versus forwarded to your deleted folder as outlook express does). You can use I-Mail to filter incoming e-mail using words, phrases, e-mail addresses, domain names, subjects, etc. Contact Tech Support or use the I-mail help feature if you need more information.

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HEY - SOMEONE IS TRYING TO SEND ME E-MAIL, BUT IT IS REJECTED AS SPAM

AMERITEL subscribes to databases which list Spam sites. If the person trying to send you e-mail through THEIR MAIL SERVER (this will have a different IP address from the www address), and THEIR MAIL SERVER is on the list (relays.osirusoft.com), the e-mail will be rejected as Spam. The AMERITEL Postmaster sends a message to the originator of the e-mail and the Postmaster of the site saying that the e-mail was rejected as Spam with a link to the Spam Prevention Early Warning System. It is the responsibility of the ORIGINATING Postmaster to fix the problem on their end.

NOTE: You can now choose to adjust your Spam Filter to allow you to receive this e-mail.

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WHAT'S THE DEAL - I'M STILL GETTING SPAM

Our server effectively blocks approximately 95% of all Spam. However, new sites are added each day to the Spam database due to Spammers using new domains, new Spammers, etc. Also, make sure the e-mail isn't something you may have subscribed to when visiting a web site. If the e-mail address (example: advertising@lotto.com) refers to an actual web site, (i.e. www.lotto.com), then you may be able to unsubscribe from the mailing list via their home page. Use your best judgment when determining this, because you don't want to get more junk e-mail by responding to a Spammer.

Each mailbox is set-up with a basic Spam control level. You can request a change to your settings.

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SPAM FILTER

Use this link to request an adjustment to your Spam Filter.

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SPAM CHECKING TOOLS

Use this link to COTSE. Put the email address from the questionable email and choose:
* Check rbl, dul, rss, orbs, and abuse.net (fourth choice on the left).
This will show if the e-mail address is listed on any of the Spam databases.

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HELP US STAMP OUT SPAM

If you receive unsolicited e-mail that you believe to be Spam, please attach a copy of the e-mail to abuse@ameritel.net. IMPORTANT: In order to send the Spam e-mail as an attachment, right click on e-mail and choose "Forward as attachment" (Some Spam uses a fake "From" e-mail address, and we need to see all the headers for the true originator of the e-mail) and include in any such report the name of the offending domain (for example, abc.com) and the type of abuse (for example, Spam, illegal acts, harassment, etc.) in the "subject" field of the e-mail.

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