-=PCTechTalk=- Email Filters & message rules
- From: "Mike" <mikebike@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: pctechtalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 25 Jun 2005 20:30:56 -0700
Hi Cristy,
here is an article I wrote for Linda's All 'Bout Computers (ABC)
ABC ~ All 'Bout Computers
The Online Web-azine for Computer Enthusiasts
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc2/v13/mike13.htm
Mike's Safety Belt
~~Mike Baynes, MikesWhatsNews
Email Filters and Rules
Filters, may also be referred to as Message rules. Different email=
programs have different methods of applying them. What I hope to=
accomplish in this document is to show you how to use words or phrases to=
create effective Filters, or Message Rules. [I will use the word=
"Filters", to refer to both]
My most important filter is the virus filter, it is my first one. In it I=
have blocked subjects like 'Ha Ha sexy fun', GONE.SCR, and other known=
virus phrases obtained from the virus warnings. I have it set to delete=
these as they come in.
I also like to set up folders for my incoming mail. I call my second filter=
'Friends'. If an incoming email is from any of my 'friends', people I=
know; I have subfolders for 'special' ones<g>. groups I subscribe to (I=
have subfolders for each one), newsletters, and product updates.
You should test each filter as you apply it, you would not want to set up a=
filter which deletes all email containing strings of capital letters.=
Better yet to move to a 'possible junk', or other name you wish. This will=
avoid you permanently deleting email that you may wish to read. I have=
found several emails intended for me, which I had filtered out into my=
'Junkyard', which is where all email which doesn't fit in my other filter=
rules ends up.
For a really good look at what types of filters you can set up, based on=
words, phrases, email addresses, and domains, see this site: Spam=
Tracking 101
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<<Note from the editor: Though I agree that filters will help you clean up=
your inboxes, I caution you to use Mike's suggested "possible junk" folder=
until you are sure what you are filtering is indeed junk. As I look=
through the suggestions for filters at Spam Tracking 101, I see many that=
would send ABC to the trash: Dollar signs ($), for example, are used in=
Excel formulas and could indeed appear here, and multiple exclamation=
points are something many writers use to add emphasis. So, add your=
filters wisely and set up a folder for your friends, like Mike suggests,=
so ABC ends up in a friendly folder and not the trash :-)
Linda>>
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Some instructions for setting up filters:
from the Win 98SE Outlook Express 6 Help files:
To create a rule for e-mail messages:
1. On the Tools menu, point to Message Rules, and then click Mail.=
Message rules cannot be created for IMAP or HTTP e-mail accounts.
2. If this is the first rule you are creating, proceed to step 3.=
Otherwise, on the Mail Rules tab, click New and proceed to step 4.
3. Select the conditions for your rule by selecting the desired check=
boxes in the Conditions section. (You must select at least one condition.)=
You can specify multiple conditions for a single rule by selecting more=
than one check box. Click the and hyperlink in the Rule Description=
section to specify whether all of the rule conditions must be met before=
the specified action occurs (and), or whether at least one must be met=
(or).
4. Specify the actions for your rule by selecting the desired check boxes=
in the Actions section. (You must select at least one condition.)
5. Click the underlined hyperlinks in the Rule Description section to=
specify the conditions or actions for your rule. You can click contains=
people or contains specific words in the Rule Description section to=
specify the people or words you'd like Outlook Express to look for in=
messages. If you enter multiple people or multiple words per condition,=
use the Options button in the Select People or Type Specific Words dialog=
boxes to further customize the condition.
6. In the Name of the rule text box, select the default name or type a new=
name for your rule, and then click OK.
(more on Outlook Express message rules from G Man. or see Outlook Express=
and Filters
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----
Creating rules in Microsoft Outlook is covered at Linda's website and in=
Parker's Mailbox.
also, read Microsoft's article, Deleting Multiple Junk E-mail Messages in=
Outlook 2002 By Paul Cornell
----------------------------------------------------------------------------=
----
Filtering in The Bat! ~ by John Galvin:
In The Bat, filters are set up and managed using the Sorting Office, which=
is accessed from the Account Menu. There are various types of filters=
which can be used e.g. filters for incoming mail/outgoing mail/read=
messages/replied messages and selective download filters.
For a typical user, the filters for incoming mail are most important.
To set up a new filter for incoming mail, click on the Incoming Mail folder=
in the Sorting Office, and then click new.
Enter a name for the filter e.g. My friends and then select the folder=
where you want to send the mail to.
The most important bit is the Filter Strings. This is where you determine=
what to filter e-mails on. For this, I will choose an e-mail address. So=
for "Strings" I will use "myfriend@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx", and the "Location"=
will be "Sender".
If I receive a new e-mail, the filter will check to see if my friends=
e-mail address is in the Senders field of the e-mail. If it is, then the=
e-mail will be moved to whichever folder I have specified previously.
Filters in The Bat are processed from the top down.
So when a new e-mail is received, it is first checked by the filter at the=
top.
If that filter doesn't catch it, the next filter down will check it and so=
on.
If it gets to the bottom of the list of filters, and none of them were able=
to catch the e-mail, then the e-mail is left in the Inbox.
Once an e-mail triggers a filter, it will stop being processed by the rest=
of the filters, unless it is specified otherwise.
The Actions/Options and Advanced Tabs in the Sorting Office, allow greater=
flexibility in dealing with e-mails.
For example, I could set up a filter which takes customer orders, moves the=
e-mails to a special folder, and automatically appends each order to a=
text file while sending a confirmation e-mail back to the sender."
You can get The Bat here http://www.ritlabs.com/the_bat/
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Calypso Email Program ~ From the Calypso help file:
Using Individual Messages to Modify a Filter Rule
You can add a filter rule based on a message.
1. Right-click the message.
2. Click Add to Filter.
3. In the Add rule to filter dialog box, select the appropriate filter rule=
from the Filter list.
4. Create a filter rule. Refer to Creating a Filter Definition for help=
about creating a rule.
5. Click OK to save the rule. The filter definition will be applied to the=
message.
Applying Filters Manually
You can apply existing filter definitions to a message or folder.
To apply a filter definition to a message:
1. Right-click the message.
2. Click Filter then the filter name.
To apply a filter to a folder:
1. Right-click a folder.
2. Click Filter All Messages, then the filter name.
Creating a Filter Definition
1. In the mailbox folder list, right click Filter, then click New=
Definition. The Filter Definition dialog box appears.
2. Type a descriptive name for the filter in the Filter definition name=
field.
3. To make this filter definition your JunkYard filter, see Creating a=
JunkYard Filter. Otherwise, go to step 4.
4. Click the Add button to create a filter rule.
5. In the What Pattern to Search For field, type the character pattern that=
Calypso will use to search incoming and/or outgoing mail.
Click the arrow [v] (hyperlink) and select an operator. If applicable, type=
a second character pattern in the second text box.
6. Select the Match case check box if you want capitals and lower case
letters in the filter pattern to match those in the message.
About Patterns, Wildcards, and Operators (hyperlink)
Patterns
Filter patterns tell Calypso what to look for when it is searching your=
mail.
A pattern may be a whole word or part of a string.
For example, if you use "university" as your pattern, Calypso will consider=
State University, clark@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx, (university), or university news=
as a match, depending on which objects you selected.
In other words, if you use "university" as your pattern, Calypso will look=
for "university" surrounded by non-alphanumeric characters.=
Non-alphanumeric characters can be spaces, periods, parentheses, commas,=
tabs, etc.
If you want to search for all instances of the word, surrounded by=
non-alphanumeric
characters or not, you may want to use wildcards.
Note
Calypso ignores any spaces at the beginning or end of the pattern.
Wildcards
Wildcards are symbols that stand for one or more characters.
Calypso uses the asterisk symbol (*) to indicate wildcard characters.
For example, "*mclark*" would refer to samclark, tomclarkson,=
pamclarke@xxxxxxxx, mclark@xxxxxxxx, and so on.
Use "*" before a pattern to indicate that other characters may precede it.
Use "*" after a pattern to indicate that other characters may follow it.
Operators
Only Only the pattern string in the upper pattern box will be evaluated.
The e-mail message must include the pattern to be considered a match.
And The pattern strings in the upper and lower boxes will be evaluated.
The e-mail message must include both patterns to be considered a match.
Or The pattern strings in the upper and lower boxes will be evaluated.
The e-mail message must include at least one pattern to be considered a=
match.
Not Only the pattern string in the upper pattern box will be evaluated.
The e-mail message must NOT include the pattern to be considered a
match.
And Not The pattern strings in the upper and lower boxes will be evaluated.=
The e-mail message must include the first pattern, but cannot include
the second pattern to be considered a match.
7. In the Filter Mode field, select whether you want the filter rule to=
apply to incoming mail, outgoing mail, or both.
8. In the What Objects to Search field, select one or more of the filter=
objects.
Calypso will search the selected objects in the message to find a matching=
filter pattern.
9. In the What Action to Take field, select one or more of the filter=
actions.
Use 'What's This?' Help [?] (hyperlink) for information about individual=
actions.
Learn more about running a program
About Run Program
The Run Program option can initiate an application and provide information=
from the message to the application.
When creating a filter rule, specify the application to use and the part of=
the message to be included.
The command line in the Run Program field should include the path to the=
application, any options, and the following tokens:
<<SZ>> =3D message size
<<DS>> =3D date and time ("3/27/99 10:09AM" format)
<<DL>> =3D date and time ("1999-03-27 10:09:50 -0500" format)
<<DT>> =3D date only
<<TM>> =3D time only
<<SJ>> =3D subject
<<FR>> =3D from alias
<<FA>> =3D from address
<<TO>> =3D to alias(es)
<<TA>> =3D to address(es)
<<CC>> =3D CC alias(es)
<<CA>> =3D CC address(es)
<<BC>> =3D BCC field
<<BA>> =3D BCC address(es)
<<RT>> =3D ReplyTo field
<<AC>> =3D account name
For example, the Run Program field could contain a command line that sends=
the subject of a message to a pager.
The filter rule might look like this:
Mode: Incoming
Pattern: user@xxxxxxxxxxx
Case: Off
Objects: From
Action: Run program 'C:\program files\pager.exe <<SJ>>'
When the filter definition finds a matching filter pattern, the application=
will run.
WARNING
It is possible to place a message header token in the Run Program field=
without associating any specific program.
When a matching message was found, the program listed in the message's=
header would be run.
For example, a filter rule has the following settings:
Mode: Incoming
Pattern: user@xxxxxxxxxxx
Case: Off
Objects: From
Action: Run program '<<SJ>>'
An incoming message matches the filter pattern and has the subject of=
"netscape.exe".
Based on the filter rule above, Calypso would start the Netscape program;=
however,
if the subject were "deltree c:\", your hard drive would be erased.
Use extreme care if you place only a header token in the Run Program field.
10. Click OK to add the filter rule to the filter definition.
11. Repeat steps 4-11 to add another filter rule.
12. In the Filter Definition panel, click a rule and use the Priority Up=
and Priority Down keys to arrange the rules.
The order of the rules tells Calypso which filter action to accept first.
13. Click Save when finished.
14. To apply the filter definition to your mail, select the Apply selected=
filter definition check box in the Filter tab.
The Filter tab is located in Account Properties.
Filters
Filter definitions perform various actions on incoming and outgoing mail.=
This feature is useful if you send or receive many e-mail messages and=
want to organize them automatically.
A filter definition is made up of filter rules. A filter rule identifies a=
pattern that Calypso will look for in a message header and then takes=
action on that message. Actions can include running a program, saving a=
message as a text file, deleting the message, or routing the message to a=
folder or person.
For example, Sam Clark wants all his incoming university mail placed in a=
folder labeled "School." Sam would create a filter rule that looks for=
"university" in the From field of incoming messages. When Calypso finds a=
match, it places the message in the School folder.
You can create as many filter rules as needed to sort your messages. The=
order of the filter rules within the definition determines which actions=
are accepted first.
While you can apply only one filter definition to an account, that=
definition can reference other filter definitions. This gives you greater=
control over how your mail is sorted.
Each account in your mailbox can have a different active filter, or you can=
activate the same filter definition for several accounts.
You can get the Calypso e-mail program for free here:
http://www.ouisoft.com/calypso.htm
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Eudora: How To Use filters:
http://www.eudora.com/techsupport/tutorials/win_filters.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------------=
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Netscape and Filters
http://help.btinet.net/pcnetscape.shtml
Mike Baynes is the editor of MikesWhatsNews .
******* Mike's REPLY SEPARATOR *********
On 6/25/2005 at 11:03 PM cristy wrote:
Thanks Judith,
I think I like the one for the spam that you use. I will have to figure
out
how to use message rules. I have not checked into them before.
christy
----- Original Message -----
From: "Judith" <jtb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <pctechtalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, June 25, 2005 10:43 PM
Subject: -=3DPCTechTalk=3D- Re: Outlook express - message rules
>
>
>
> Just curious, what would you use that many rules for?
>
> christy
> ________
> I like my email to be very organized so I have folders set up
> and by having message rules -- the email goes into those
> folders.
>
> The address I use where I know I will get spam goes to the
> deleted folder automatically which empties every time I close my
> program (grin).
>
> In some folders I will pick and choose what I want to read --
> saves time. Then I can do Edit, Select All, Delete and keep OE
> Clean and up to date.
>
> Judith
--
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