Spam: No longer just another mystery meat.

But still a mystery, to be sure.

If you are not receiving spam in your mailbox, then congratulations! All that clean living is paying off. Here are a few tips to keep your inbox spam free:

• Don't use your personal email account to sign up for public sites such as forums, mailing lists, online purchases, or any other site that might sell your email address or send you spam.

• Get a free email account at hotmail.com, gmail.com, yahoo.com or other online sites. These can be used for the above items and if you start receiving too many spam emails in them, you can just "throw them away" and get a new one.

• Don't use your business email address to send and receive personal messages. Well-meaning friends and family may send you e-cards or other types of email where they enter your email address that puts you on a mailing list or sells your address.

• Don't post your email on your website. This gives spammers a valid email address to which to start emailing. Instead, set up a contact form that emails the information to an anonymous address not visible online.

If you are receiving a great deal of spam, you have several options:

• Purchase and install an anti-spam software/service on your local machine. There are several on the market and can be purchased at many stores or downloaded from the internet.

• Sign up for an anti-spam subscription such as SpamArrest, which requires an automatic reply from a human being before it is delivered to your inbox.

• Contact us to set up Live Oak's Ironport Anti-Spam service. You'll get a 30-day free trial and you can see for yourself how well it can help keep your inbox clear of unwanted emails. For more information, contact our offices. You can also submit a ticket by emailing support@liveoakhosting.com, or calling us toll-free at 877.272.5743.