ActiveWords + MailWasher

What is MailWasher? I use MailWasher to deal to spam. It allows you to view your in-box at the ISP mail server before you download it, then blitz spam there, only down-loading the mail you actually want. It’s a nice feeling watching the junk mail disappear before it gets to your local in-box.

Doesn’t your ISP filter spam, why not use that? I do use my ISP’s spam tools but only have it tag suspects as [spam]. I don’t use their option to delete it.

Why? Occasionally I would loose emails I actually wanted. I have found about 2% of my messages are incorrectly tagged as spam at the ISP. I have a MailWasher rule to select these [spam] for deletion, 98% are right, but can do a quick visual check and rescue the few I need before they disappear off the mail server forever.

Doesn’t that mean looking at all the messages anyway? MailWasher applies rules to incoming emails and maintains “friends” & “blacklist” lists so 99% of the mail is correctly handled with no user intervention. It previews text so you can see the message and also allows you to deal to those annoying spams which only use images (for text), they show [Image ignored] in the preview.

So why ActiveWords for MailWasher? Since MailWasher requires a repetitive process – launch, check mail, scan, process (delete spam), receive mail –  it’s a candidate for ActiveWords control. This set of ActiveWords actions/scripts combines commands in MailWasher and ActiveWords control of Windows and Outlook to provide total control, even launching the application, with a few short keyboard commands.

Most of the actions are possible within MailWasher using keyboard shortcuts, exploited by the ActiveWords scripts, but ActiveWords also allows control of the applications to be scripted. MailWasher and Outlook windows appear, minimise/maximise, as I need without touching the mouse. The last few don’t control the application but allow me to visit the MailWasher website, type it’s URL and even correctly format MailWasher every time, & everywhere, I type it.

Both applications offer free trial periods. The codes are in the extended post if you want to try them.

MailWasher – http://www.firetrust.com/firetrustpro.html

ActiveWords – http://www.activewords.com/

These are the commands I use with MailWasher, I type the bold ActiveWord then trigger the ActiveWords (Function Key or double space):

• Application Control;
  • mwl – Launch MailWasher Pro
  • m – Maximise MailWasher Pro
• Mail Check;
  • Switch to MailWasher, retrieve the ISP in-box, tagged ready for me to review
    • mc – Maximise MailWasher, Check Mail
  • If all the mail is spam I want MailWasher to delete it, then disappear.
    • mp – Maximise MailWasher, Process Mail Only, Minimise
  • If some mail is genuine, I want to process it and view it in Outlook;
    • mpp – Maximise MailWasher, Process Mail, Switch to Outlook, Check for Mail
• General;
  • mwn – Navigate to MailWasher Website
  • mwu – Substitute MailWasher URL
  • mwf – Substitute MailWasher

The first two launch, or maximise, the MailWasher application;

ActiveWords
ActiveWords Desc
AW Type
mwl
Launch - MailWasher Pro
Launch
Action
"c:\program files\mailwasher pro\mailwasher.exe"

 

ActiveWords
ActiveWords Desc
AW Type
m
Execute - Mailwasher Pro 5.2 Maximise
Script
Action
<CTRL><SHIFT>M</SHIFT></CTRL>

This maximises MailWasher, then checks the ISP mailserver, ready for me to scan;

ActiveWords
ActiveWords Desc
AW Type
mc
Execute - MailWasher Pro 5.2 Check Mail
Script
Action
<CTRL><SHIFT>M</SHIFT></CTRL><wait for window:title=MailWasher Pro 5.2><F5>

If all the mail is spam this processes it (MailWasher deletes if off the server), then minimises MailWasher so I can get back to work. This would be two actions in MailWasher, ActiveWords makes it one.

ActiveWords
ActiveWords Desc
AW Type
mp
Execute - MailWasher Pro 5.2 Process Mail Only
Script
Action
<CTRL><SHIFT>M</SHIFT></CTRL><wait for window:title=MailWasher Pro 5.2><F6><CLOSE WINDOW>

If some mail is worth reading this makes MailWasher process/delete the spam, switch to Outlook, then ActiveWords initiates a check mail. MailWasher can do the process then switch to Outlook but requires a manual mail check to be initiated so ActiveWords saves that.

ActiveWords
ActiveWords Desc
AW Type
mpp
Execute - MailWasher Pro 5.2 Process Mail - Switch to Outlook - Check for Mail
Script
Action
<CTRL><SHIFT>M</SHIFT></CTRL><wait for window:title=MailWasher Pro 5.2><F6><CLOSE WINDOW><Check for New Email>

This will navigate to the Firetrust MailWasher site;

ActiveWords
ActiveWords Desc
AW Type
mwn
Navigate to - MailWasher
Navigate
Action
http://www.firetrust.com/firetrustpro.html

This types in their URL; http://www.firetrust.com/firetrustpro.html

ActiveWords
ActiveWords Desc
AW Type
mwu
Substitute - MailWasher URL http://www.firetrust.com/firetrustpro.html
Substitute
Action
http://www.firetrust.com/firetrustpro.html

This types MailWasher, with the correct formatting, all I type is “mwf”

ActiveWords
ActiveWords Desc
AW Type
mwf
Substitute - MailWasher
Substitute
Action
MailWasher