Anti-spam
The St. Catharines Public Library receives an enormous amount of unsolicited commercial e-mail (spam) and e-mails with virus-laden attachments. We also host e-mail services for a number of other organizations as well.
Click on the links below to find out more about how we are dealing with spam:
- content filtering (looking for keywords)
- format filtering (looking for html-formatting)
- attachment filtering (blocks potentially dangerous attachments)
- blacklists (blocks e-mail addresses, domains and IP addresses of known spammers)
Unfortunately, this means that some legitimate e-mail gets blocked. Most of the legitimate e-mail that gets blocked originates from the "free" web-based services providers (i.e. Hotmail, Yahoo, AOL, etc.) as these free services are typically abused by spammers.
In order to reduce the likelihood of your e-mail getting blocked, please try the following:
- Turn off HTML formatting; send using plain text only
- Do not use ALL CAPS
- Do not use free, web-based e-mail services like Hotmail, Yahoo, AOL, etc.
- Avoid using spam-like phrases (i.e. FREE, BUY NOW, SALE, ENLARGE, VIAGRA, etc.)
- Do not send executable attachments (.bat, .com, .exe, .pif, .zip, etc.). See below for a full list of blocked attachments.
If all else fails, you can bypass the spam filters by changing the subject line of your e-mail to: WHITELIST
You can also contact us to have your e-mail address added to our "permitted senders list."
Our mail server is also set to block unsafe attachments. Any e-mail that contains the following types of attachments will automatically be blocked and sent back to the sender, without notifying the intended recipient:
| Extension | File Type |
| .ade | Microsoft Access project extension |
| .adp | Microsoft Access project |
| .bas | Microsoft Visual Basic class module |
| .bat | Batch file |
| .chm | Compiled HTML Help file |
| .cmd | Microsoft Windows NT Command script |
| .com | Microsoft MS-DOS program |
| .cpl | Control Panel extension |
| .crt | Security certificate |
| .exe | Program |
| .hlp | Help file |
| .hta | HTML program |
| .inf | Setup Information |
| .ins | Internet Naming Service |
| .isp | Internet Communication settings |
| .js | JScript file |
| .jse | Jscript Encoded Script file |
| .lnk | Shortcut |
| .mdb | Microsoft Access program |
| .mde | Microsoft Access MDE database |
| .msc | Microsoft Common Console document |
| .msi | Microsoft Windows Installer package |
| .msp | Microsoft Windows Installer patch |
| .mst | Microsoft Visual Test source files |
| .pcd | Photo CD image, Microsoft Visual compiled script |
| .pif | Shortcut to MS-DOS program |
| .rar | WinRAR compressed file |
| .reg | Registration entries |
| .scr | Screen saver |
| .sct | Windows Script Component |
| .shs | Shell Scrap object |
| .shb | Shell Scrap object |
| .url | Internet shortcut |
| .vb | VBScript file |
| .vbe | VBScript Encoded script file |
| .vbs | VBScript file |
| .wsc | Windows Script Component |
| .wsf | Windows Script file |
| .wsh | Windows Script Host Settings file |
| .zip | All Zip files (see note below) |
Most normal document types are permitted such as .doc, .rtf, .txt, .xls, however, we are currently blocking .zip files due to the high number of viruses that are being spread through this format.
Bypassing the Attachment Filter
Only .zip files can be set to bypass our attachment filter. In order to do so, you must rename the zip file to include the word "whitelist" in the filename.
For example, to send the file Report.zip you would need to rename the file to whitelist_Report.zip or Report-whitelist.zip.
For further information, please contact:
St. Catharines Public Library
54 Church St.
St. Catharines, Ontario
Phone: 905-688-6103 x212