In the digital age, spam emails and text messages have become a ubiquitous nuisance. With the massive volume of unsolicited messages flooding our inboxes and phones daily, it’s no surprise that most of us have pondered whether it’s better to block or delete this spam.
Both blocking and deleting have their merits when it comes to managing spam. To make an informed decision between the two options, it helps to first understand some key differences:
How blocking and deleting spam differ
Blocking spam prevents future messages from a particular sender from reaching your inbox. It essentially establishes a rule that intercepts messages matching the sender’s details and prevents them from being delivered. The original messages remain on the sender’s server.
Deleting spam simply removes the message from your inbox after delivery. The messages are moved to your deleted items folder or trash, where they will be permanently deleted later. The original messages remain on the sender’s server.
In summary:
- Blocking stops future messages from arriving
- Deleting removes current messages from view
- Neither blocking nor deleting removes the original messages from the sender’s server
The pros and cons of blocking spam
Here are some potential advantages of blocking spam messages:
- Prevents future messages from the same sender reaching your inbox
- Can automatically block messages identified as spam by your email provider
- Saves you time by intercepting future spam messages upfront
- Stops your inbox from getting cluttered with unwanted messages
- Senders may eventually realize messages aren’t being delivered and remove you from lists
Some potential disadvantages of blocking spam are:
- You may inadvertently block legitimate messages if you block the wrong sender
- Future emails from senders you blocked will go to your spam folder, which you may not check
- Blocking individual senders can be time-consuming compared to deleting in bulk
- Senders can easily create new accounts to circumvent blocking
The pros and cons of deleting spam
Here are some potential advantages of deleting spam messages:
- Quickly removes spam from sight in your inbox
- Lets you bulk delete many spam messages at once
- Doesn’t block any senders, so legitimate messages won’t be stopped
- Spammers are unaware their messages have been deleted
Some potential disadvantages of deleting spam are:
- You must manually delete each new influx of spam messages
- Doesn’t stop future messages from the same senders
- Deleted messages remain accessible in your trash/deleted folder
- Doesn’t remove messages from the sender’soutbox so they can retry delivery
Key factors to consider
When deciding between blocking and deleting, it helps to consider factors like:
- Spam volume – If you get lots of spam, blocking each sender would be very tedious. Deleting in bulk may be better.
- Sender legitimacy – Be cautious blocking senders in case you inadvertently block legitimate messages. Verify senders first.
- Time investment – Deleting takes less time upfront than researching senders to block. But blocking may save more time long-term.
- Follow-up actions – Deleting alone won’t stop future messages. You’ll have to regularly clear out your spam folder.
- Reporting spam – Consider reporting egregious spammers to email providers, regulators, server hosts, etc. This can disrupt their operations.
Best practices for managing spam
Here are some best practice tips for effectively managing spam emails and messages:
- Use spam filters built into your email service – Let your email provider handle spam automatically based on sophisticated algorithms.
- Delete obvious spam in bulk – Save time by regularly deleting blatant spam messages without opening them.
- Be cautious before outright blocking – Verify the sender to avoid blocking legitimate messages. Use safelists for trusted contacts.
- Watch out for new spam tactics – Spammers constantly evolve their techniques. Watch for patterns in new waves of spam.
- Never interact with spam messages – Don’t open attachments or click links. And never reply or attempt to unsubscribe.
- Report abusive spammers – Alert your email provider and consider reporting the worst spammers to host ISPs, regulators, etc.
- Protect your email address – Be wary of publicly posting your email or signing up to suspect lists. Use a disposable address if necessary.
Should you block or delete?
In most cases, a combined approach is best:
- Let your spam filters do the bulk of the work automatically.
- Periodically bulk delete any remaining obvious spam.
- Selectively block senders if you repeatedly receive spam from the same source.
- Report any abusive spammers to email providers, hosts, regulators, etc.
This layered strategy stops the majority of spam upfront, quickly clears your inbox of spam buildup, and hampers the operations of relentless spammers. Blocking can supplement deleting for certain stubborn spam sources.
Conclusion
Spam emails and texts are an unavoidable nuisance in today’s digital age. Both blocking and deleting have pros and cons as spam management techniques. Generally, a combined approach using spam filters, bulk deleting, selective blocking and reporting provides optimal protection. The right balance depends on your spam volumes, time constraints and willingness to block potential legitimate mail. With a layered strategy, you can effectively manage spam to keep your inbox clean.