System, method, and computer program product for filtering electronic mail
A system, method, and computer program product for filtering electronic mail. In one case, unwanted email is blocked at the server by employing automated methods to verify that the email is from either a known sender or an actual human user.
1 . A method for filtering electronic mail, comprising:
receiving, in a data processing system, an electronic mail message;
determining if the electronic mail message includes an intro-word;
delivering the electronic mail message if the electronic mail message includes the intro-word; and
storing the electronic mail message if the electronic mail message does not include the intro-word.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the intro-word is located in a subject line of the electronic mail message.
3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising delivering the electronic mail message if the email address of a sender of the electronic mail message is on an authorized sender list.
4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising delivering the electronic mail message if the domain name of a sender of the electronic mail message is on an authorized domain list.
5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, if the electronic mail message does not include the intro-word, then sending a confirmation message to the sender of the electronic mail message.
6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
receiving a response mail message corresponding to the confirmation message;
delivering the electronic mail message if the response mail message includes the intro-word; and
storing the electronic mail message if the response mail message does not include the intro-word.
7 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
receiving a response corresponding to the confirmation message via an internet connection;
delivering the electronic mail message if the response includes the intro-word; and
storing the electronic mail message if the response does not include the intro-word.
8 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising sending an obscured image of the intro-word to the sender.
9 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising sending the intro-word to the sender in a non-machine-readable form.
10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising deleting the stored electronic mail message after a predetermined amount of time.
11 . A data processing system having at least a processor and accessible memory, comprising:
means for receiving, in the data processing system, an electronic mail message;
means for determining if the electronic mail message includes an intro-word;
means for delivering the electronic mail message if the electronic mail message includes the intro-word; and
means for storing the electronic mail message if the electronic mail message does not include the intro-word.
12 . The data processing system of claim 11 , wherein the intro-word is located in a subject line of the electronic mail message.
13 . The data processing system of claim 11 , further means for comprising delivering the electronic mail message if the email address of a sender of the electronic mail message is on an authorized sender list.
14 . The data processing system of claim 11 , further comprising means for delivering the electronic mail message if the domain name of a sender of the electronic mail message is on an authorized domain list.
15 . The data processing system of claim 11 , further comprising means for sending a confirmation message to the sender of the electronic mail message if the electronic mail message does not include the intro-word.
16 . The data processing system of claim 15 , further comprising:
means for receiving a response mail message corresponding to the confirmation message;
means for delivering the electronic mail message if the response mail message includes the intro-word; and
means for storing the electronic mail message if the response mail message does not include the intro-word.
17 . The data processing system of claim 15 , further comprising:
means for receiving a response corresponding to the confirmation message via an internet connection;
means for delivering the electronic mail message if the response includes the intro-word; and
means for storing the electronic mail message if the response does not include the intro-word.
18 . The data processing system of claim 15 , further comprising means for sending an obscured image of the intro-word to the sender.
19 . The data processing system of claim 15 , further comprising means for sending the intro-word to the sender in a non-machine-readable form.
20 . The data processing system of claim 11 , further comprising means for deleting the stored electronic mail message after a predetermined amount of time.
21 . A computer program product tangibly embodied in a machine-readable medium, comprising:
instructions for receiving, in a data processing system, an electronic mail message;
instructions for determining if the electronic mail message includes an intro-word;
instructions for delivering the electronic mail message if the electronic mail message includes the intro-word; and
instructions for storing the electronic mail message if the electronic mail message does not include the intro-word.
22 . The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein the intro-word is located in a subject line of the electronic mail message.
23 . The computer program product of claim 21 , further comprising instructions for delivering the electronic mail message if the email address of a sender of the electronic mail message is on an authorized sender list.
24 . The computer program product of claim 21 , further comprising instructions for delivering the electronic mail message if the domain name of a sender of the electronic mail message is on an authorized domain list.
25 . The computer program product of claim 21 , further comprising instructions for sending a confirmation message to the sender of the electronic mail message if the electronic mail message does not include the intro-word.
26 . The computer program product of claim 25 , further comprising:
instructions for receiving a response mail message corresponding to the confirmation message;
instructions for delivering the electronic mail message if the response mail message includes the intro-word; and
instructions for storing the electronic mail message if the response mail message does not include the intro-word.
27 . The computer program product of claim 25 , further comprising:
instructions for receiving a response corresponding to the confirmation message via an internet connection;
instructions for delivering the electronic mail message if the response includes the intro-word; and
instructions for storing the electronic mail message if the response does not include the intro-word.
28 . The computer program product of claim 25 , further comprising instructions for sending an obscured image of the intro-word to the sender.
29 . The computer program product of claim 25 , further comprising instructions for sending the intro-word to the sender in a non-machine-readable form.
30 . The computer program product of claim 21 , further comprising instructions for deleting the stored electronic mail message after a predetermined amount of time.