Spam Rules

This procedure will create a rule in Outlook that tests for spam IF AND ONLY IF you use the College's "Filtered Email" service. 

HINT: Before you create an Outlook Rule using this procedure, spend some time examining the "scores" of the messages you hope to avoid getting. To do this, open the message in Outlook, then use View, Options and look in the Internet Header section for "X-Score". X-Score will have a series of asterisks after it. 

Now you are ready to create the rule. Here is the procedure: 

1. In Outlook, click Tools, Rule Wizard
   
2. Click New...
   
3. Under "Which type of rule do you want to create" select "check messages when they arrive", then click Next
   
4. Under "Which conditions do you want to check" checkmark the selection "with specific words in the message header"
   
5. In the box called "Rule Description" click on the words "Specific Words". A dialog box called "Search Text" will open.
   
   Now it is decision time. You need to think about what X-Score rating you want to use to trigger the rule you are creating. When your email is scored for spam content, X-Score will have a series of asterisks (******) in it. The more asterisks, the more likely the message is spam. Decide how many asterisks you think might represent (to you) spam. You can always change it later, or even create other rules with different tolerance levels you can turn on or off.
   
   Let's say you believe 8 asterisks is about right (that's reasonable). That means any message that has 8 or more asterisks will be processed by this rule, considered spam, and properly disposed of. In the Search Text box, type
   
   (********
   
   The opening parenthesis is important. Notice there are 8 asterisks. Don't add a closing parenthesis. Then click OK, then Next.
   
6. In the "What do you want to do with this message?" box, checkmark the box "delete it". HINT: if you don't want to delete the message captured by the rule, you can take other actions such as send it to a special folder you have created for the purpose. Select accordingly.
   
   When you have made a selection, click Next.
   
7. Don't select anything under "Add any exceptions", just click Next.
   
8. Under "Please specify a name for this rule", select some easy to remember name for the rule. Checkmark the box "Turn on this rule". Then press Finish.
   
9. Finally, if you have other rules, highlight the rule you just created by clicking it once, and move it to the top of the list using the "Move Up" button. If at a later time you wish to change the settings for the number of asterisks in your new rule, run the Rules Wizard again, select the rule and "modify" it using the Rule Wizard.