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Messages listed in my in-box under the Search folder get read immediately; if they need future attention, I tag them using Outlook's flags. Feedback gets read several times each day, while News and Press get read first thing in the day. Messages that need action items are tagged red, follow-up messages that can be deferred are green, information messages are blue; another Search folder for tagged messages gets reviewed every couple of days.

I tried to use Outlook's Junk Mail facility but it is useless. Since then I've been using the AntiSpam feature in Norton Internet Security, but it isn't very smart so I'm going to go back to using Openfield Software's Ella.

I use Google's Desktop, but it doesn't help me find the messages I need to track down. Desktop's biggest problem is having messages indexed that it can't find because it no longer knows where they are! I think I might go back to Nelson Email Organizer.

So, how do you handle your e-mail? Do you use Outlook, are you hooked on Eudora, or is Pine the only way for you? Does your CrackBerry never leave your hand? How do you file messages? What are you doing about spam? How complex are your mail handling rules?

Log on to Gibbsblog and let me know or, if you must, send me a message at backspin@gibbs.com.