Thanks for the reply, but you're not quite correct. If you have Earthlink's spam filters set up to only accept email from those in my address book, which I do, the only way you can move a "Suspect" email into your inbox, so Apple Mail and other apps can "see" it, is to use the webmail access via a Browser.
Other options include setting up Apple Mail to do the filtering, requiring the message to be dl'd to my machine - this opens remotely possible vulnerabilities via html code, etc. I could miss any email from anyone not in your address book - makes doing new business a bit hard. I could get an email letting you know everytime anyone not in my address book sent me a note, including an email everytime a spam comes in. This prettymuch defeats the idea of the filters, doesn't it?
Due to the materials I deal with, I must take extra measures beyond the average user, to further insure my system is insulated from less than honorable persons. Using Webmail permits me to get valid emails that are not in my addressbook, determine if a suspect mail is spam and delete it without it ever being on my machine, or opened, at any time. It's extra work, but required in my line...kind of like the safety rope a climber uses when needed. Thanks for the suggestion, though.
