I agreed with Matthew Caulfield about Earthlink's method of controlling
spam.  My Internet service provider is able to filter out about 95% of
the spam directed at me without any effort on my part.

My solution is quite simple in the case of Earthlink.  When I receive
one of those messages that requires me to "register" with the intended
receiver of my communication, I simply skip it, don't reply and forget
about it.  In this day of sophisticated software and Internet controls,
such a test email, if you want to call it that, is totally unnecessary.

This may explain to those of you with an Earthlink account who write to
me why you don't receive a response from me.  I have better things to
do with my time.

Ed Gaida
San Antonio, Texas - where winter has overstayed it's welcome.