People inundated with spam often only skim email header lines. Here's a way to use Outlook 2002 (part of Microsoft Office XP) to reduce the chance of inadvertently discarding important emails buried in the spam:

2. Click "New ...."

4. Select "Check messages when they arrive" and click "Next >."

6. If you checked "with specific words in the sender's address" then, in the box that contains just your selected conditions, click "specific words." In the pop-up dialog, type any domains that you deal with extensively. Separate multiple domains with commas. For example, "thiscompany.com, thatcompany.com." Click "Add."

8. Click "Next >."

10. In the box that now contains your selected conditions and action, click "category." Select one of the default categories or create a new one by clicking "Master Category List...," entering a new category name (such as "approved senders"), and clicking "Add." After selecting an existing or new category, click "OK."

12. Click "Next >" again.

Once you have done this, everything currently in your in-box and everything that arrives in the future from someone in your Outlook address book or from someone using one of the domains that you specified will be assigned to the selected category. Unfortunately, this does absolutely nothing to change the appearance of those email message header lines. To do so, you also need to adjust automatic formatting:

2. Click "Automatic Formatting...."

4. Give your new format a name and click "Font...."

6. Click "Condition...."

8. In the pop-up dialog, select the appropriate category and click "OK."

Now, everything from a known acceptable sender will appear in your inbox in the color you selected. Of course, as the author embarrassingly discovered after receiving his first email from the editor of this publication, that doesn't save you from inadvertently discarding important messages from people who you do not yet know. If anyone can figure that one out, please post your suggestion in the accompanying forum.

Note: The author uses Outlook 2002. This tip may not work on other versions. In addition, Outlook 2003 includes a built-in spam filter, which may make this tip superfluous. Readers are encouraged to share their knowledge of other versions in the accompanying forum.

Joel Klebanoff is a consultant, writer, and president of Klebanoff Associates, Inc., a Toronto, Canada-based marketing communications firm. Joel has 25 years experience working in IT, first as a programmer/analyst, then as a marketer. He holds a Bachelor of Science in computer science and an MBA, both from the University of Toronto. Contact him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (no spam please).

Joel Klebanoff is a consultant, writer, and formerly president of Klebanoff Associates, Inc., a Toronto-based marketing communications firm. He has 30 years' experience in various IT capacities and now specializes in writing articles, white papers, and case studies for IT vendors and publications across North America. Joel is also the author of BYTE-ing Satire, a compilation of a year's worth of his columns. He holds a BS in computer science and an MBA, both from the University of Toronto.

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