1. When someone egregiously violates common Internet courtesy, he or she usually also is in violation of his or her Internet provider’s acceptable use policy (AUP) or terms of service (TOS). Never hesitate to forward such a message to the “abuse” contact for the sender’s provider, along with a polite complaint and a request for appropriate action. (See http://www.abuse.net to search for contact information.) I’ve found that many providers will take swift action, usually a stern warning for a first offense and then account cancellation for a subsequent offense. I’ve managed to piss off more than one casual acquaintance by filing formal complaints that resulted in their accounts being suspended or terminated. I have no regret or sympathy, as I undertook my actions only in response to *their* actual AUP/TOS violations.

2. Throw-away email addresses are worth their weight in gold. However, not everyone controls an Internet domain, so not everyone can create aliases on demand. However, disposable addresses can be obtained from a number of sources, some even for free. (Just do an Internet search for “disposable email.”) You can create a unique address for each of your mail lists or even on-line stores where you like to shop. Mail sent to the alias address will be forwarded to your real address without revealing your address to the sender. When you are done with that forum or seller, simply delete the address. Many services even allow you to turn an address on or off at will, allowing you sole control over when mail should get through to you.

Finally, there is nothing wrong with vigorously protecting your privacy. More than 100 years ago, Louis Brandeis, the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice, defined the right to privacy as “the right to be let alone.” He also identified the right to privacy as an inherent component of the pursuit of happiness, one of the inalienable rights defined in the U.S. Constitution.

(However, I wish that you and quite a few other Internet users would observe another established Internet usage standard: the .NET top-level domain (TLD) was intended to be reserved for entities that provided Internet services to others, just as .COM was intended to be reserved for commercial enterprises. Other TLDs are more appropriate for personal web sites such as yours. Feel free to flame me; I’m just the messenger. If you want people to abide by standards, you must respect all of them, not just the ones that suit you.)

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Sorry Felicia and people. I have those invites…