Managing editor

Today is a historical day, but probably one most of us would like to have never experienced. Unless you are Amish, or my mom, you likely have an email address, and if you do, you’ve likely received an unsolicited message, also known as “spam.” Oddly enough, it was on this very day in 1978 that the world’s first spam message was sent by a Digital Equipment Corporation marketing representative to every computer on a network that would evolve into the Internet.

The marketing rep targeted users of the ARPANET, which was a conglomeration of computer users at several western universities. The messaging was crude by today’s standards, but the Digital rep figured out that he could bulk send his message to everyone at once.

We’ve come a long way since then, and so has spam. It’s more sophisticated, targeted and tempting than ever. Social media sites, such as Facebook, tie your “likes” and interests into a demographic marketing bonanza. “Like” an item, such as a particular cruise line, and suddenly your email is bombarded with offers for that dream vacation. The same is true with cars, beverages, events, entertainers … you name it.

Some people don’t see spam as an issue, but actually it is. Think of all the email traffic as water through a hose. The bigger the pipe, the more water that can flow, but if you try to push more water through the pipe than it can hold, your water, or in this case, your messages, get backed up. Unlike the water, however, your message can “time out,” meaning it didn’t go anywhere in the allotted time and your message was shoved aside to let more recent messages through. An offer to help a Nigerian prince get millions out of his country with your help bypasses that critical email you need to send. (Hint, Nigeria has never had royalty … it was a British colony.)

Now add the multitude of spam messages to the pipe and you can see how important messages can get delayed or lost due to the overwhelming amount of unsolicited information.

You can, however, fight back against spam. Here are just a few suggestions from the Network Enterprise Command.

- Never open an attachment in an unsolicited email. The attachment can add a tracking software to your computer that will actually increase the amount of spam you will get.

- No matter how interesting, or funny, resist the urge to forward every joke or message you receive. Send information only to those who truly need the material.

- Remove any background screen or image from your emails. They only increase the size of your email and often make them harder to read.

- Don’t use your official government email address for personal use on commercial sites. Many sites collect email addresses and sell the information to marketing firms.

- It may seem like a nice gesture, but not every email needs a “thank you,” or “got it.” Be selective on your replies.

- Replying to a spam, even to tell them to stop, may be exactly what the spammer is looking for. They need to make sure a live human is on the other end of the email chain. Don’t reply, just delete.

These are just a few of the tips to slow down the deluge of unnecessary email traffic. While Internet marketing isn’t going away anytime soon, with a few smart practices, we can make sure our important messages get to where they need to go.