Back when MailWasher Pro was just called MailWasher, which we only took voluntary donations for, we also used to receive all sorts of great gifts.
It was a simpler life back then. Thankfully no-one knew the name Paris Hilton and every morning we got up early to milk the cow (and I’m not talking about Paris Hilton anymore)....we harvested our own breakfast cereal, then the children began their commute to school by horse. Mind you back in the day we didn’t have any luxuries like carts or saddles, the children had the “Rope of Joy” instead. The “Rope of Joy” consisted of a rope, one end tied to the horse, the other to the children. Here’s a picture we took of the children happily frolicking on their way to school.
For many people, sending a gift was better than sending a donation, which we didn’t mind that at all. Plenty gave us a laugh, or were put to good use - some were even put to the use that was intended. Over the years we saw clothing, stickers, coasters, and puzzles just to name a few...
Sadly when MailWasher Pro was introduced, and we no longer accepted donations the world changed. Corporations grew like weeds, all talk about mergers, stock issues, and their golf handicap, and through this time we lost a lot of that quirky interaction with you, and frankly we miss it.
We miss your hand written notes.
We miss the stamp collection taken from letters received from all over the world.
We miss that lottery ticket you sent, that I won $2 with, but couldn’t even cash in because I don’t live in the same country as you.
It was all awesome.
So, until we come up with a better idea, we are now opening back up the Post Office Box, and we will accept trade for those who don’t wish to purchase from us, but who do still want to register MailWasher Pro.
Don’t want to buy MailWasher ? Send us something else that you consider fair trade, the rules are pretty simple.
Our postal address is
Firetrust Limited
P.O.Box 4620
Christchurch 8140
New Zealand
Be sure you include your email address, so that we can email you a Registration Code back to you.
If you want another program other than MailWasher Pro, be sure you include which program you want.
We do live in a country of BioSecurity fascists, that means
No Plants
No Fruit
No Vegetables
No Dairy Products
No Chewing Tobacco
Also
No Drugs or Drug Paraphernalia
No Weapons
No Human Hybrid Embryos
Frankly I’m surprised that last one even had to be mentioned on the New Zealand Customs Website, but for those of you out there who may happen to also be Mad Scientists, with half man, half bear, half pig creations, please, don’t send their embryos through.
Hi Chris, I am a Kiwi living in UK but intending to return t0 NZ in 2010. I just wanted to say congratulations on the good job your Trust is doing with the programs. They are all so good and work in areas where other virus detectors don't work. A while ago I made the mistake of upgrading my Firefox to version 3 and it disconnected my Site Hound and corrupted my view of Genes Reunited and a few other sites. I then uninstalled it and uploaded Internet Explorer and reconnected Site Hound but have had computer crashes ever since. Firefox 2 was perfect so I don't know why I bothered!! Which all goes to show you should stick with what you have on your computer and not upgrade for the sake of it. Your new idea of accepting trade for programs is also very interesting and may be the best option for all in these times of financial crashes and bank bankruptcies. Once again you are well up there with innovation. Keep up the good work. - Liz
Does the new (free) Mailwasher Version 6.3 work on CompuServe (AOL)?
Thanks in advance for any reply. Bob S.
Mailwasher is one of the very few "free" programs that I felt it was worthwhile to send a donation to. I generally will decide to "pay" or delete at the point the program goes off the free status.
I do tech support for a couple of web sites and email forums and constantly will recommend Mashwasher as a "best buy".
A super program.
Hi Chris,
Must be a long telephoto lens you used to take that picture 'Rope of Joy' as it is Appleby Horse Fair in Yorkshire UK!!
I couldn't work without Mailwasher, the best program on the market and I look forward to the new version, eventually.
Regards,
Alan.
hey! so nice to get some human interaction with a program provider! i am already a subscribed member but feel like sending you something anyhow - sort of a "just because" gift! Your program is wonderful, and i dont know what i would do without it. cheers!
Have I guessed correctly? The solution to your math(s) problem could conceivably be 42 or 137, but probably isn't. Hmmm. This is going to take more time than I first thought, so I'd better call a friend.
After all, I live across the Tasman and, as you know, nothing adds up over here.
A propos of which, a former Prime Minister of yours, "Piggy" Muldoon, was once asked what he thought of all those New Zealanders migrating to Australia, and he replied, "It will raise the average intelligence of both countries".
It depends really on the value of ?, but thankfully you guessed correctly.
I miss old 'piggy'....at least he had personality, which coming into an election that's showing as being clearly lacking now.
Hi folks, just thought I would drop by and say hi!! I am a registered user and have been for a number of years now. love the program, would be absolutely lost without it. not sure if I will upgrade though, because this one works just fine and have had problems lately with upgrades to programs I already had. some you can't reverse.
Love the idea of interaction with program creators, wish there were more of you.
I think I will send you down a gift just to say thanks and keep up the good work.
That's really nice Carolyn, if you do just be sure to mark it "For Chris" ;)
You could also include an email address of a friend instead as well if you wanted us to send them a registration for MailWasher Pro.
Hi Folks:
I just want to tell you once again how much I appreciate MailWasher. Somewhere between 25 and 30 of my clients (I am a semi-retired computer consultant) have taken my advice and purchased MailWasher Pro. Some of them needed a bit of convincing and some of older ones have needed some hand holding to get them going but every one has eventually thanked me for "pressing" them into purchasing it.
It has been about five years now that I have been using MW Pro and though I seldom use Windows anymore, I continue to use the Linux version that was developed, then dropped because of lack of sales. I have noticed that your website claims that MW Pro works with Wine but I have not tried it.
Anyway, I just want to say that Firetrust is one of the very few companies that I unreservedly endorse when talking software applications to friends an clients.
Continued success to you!
Mac
Thanks Mac, we are also very keen to work on a cross-platform version of MailWasher, work should start on that (hopefully) early in the new year.
We'll be keeping people posted about that.
Thanks again
Mailwasher 6.3 Pro definitely works with Linux - well, with Ubuntu Hardy Heron, anyway! - through Wine.
I missed Mailwasher when I fled from Windows. The amazingly helpful Jeremy helped me through setting up the old Mailwasher Pro for Linux with some long distance hand holding, but I eventually decided to try the latest version for the added functionality and Hey Presto, the "upgrade" went very smoothly indeed!
Keep up the good work guys!
It the Macintosh version still available? Will it work with Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard? I couldn't find on the website. Thanks
Well, here's the download link to the old version if you really want it, its just not as well done as the Windows version
http://www.firetrust.com/download/beta/MailWasherPro_2.0.0_070626.pkg.sit
Hiya Chris,
Just had the newsletter and bombed straight over to say thanks for all of your work on MW Pro. I am a long time user, but am now discontinuing my ISP email in favour of Hotmail - I kow I will have to pay for "pop-hotmail" but there ya go.
Anyway, just wondering if you were into Traditional music at all (often called folk music). If so, I'll send you a little something as an extra thanks.
Cheers
David
Hi David
Absolutely, that's more than welcome :)
Before you do your Hotmail signup, at least take a gander at GMail. You can get straight into POP access without paying, and they do offer more storage as well.
Microsoft in my view has really let Hotmail users down, it was great when there wasn't much alternatives, but now they've fallen behind.
Hi Chris. I am sorry you have ended to offer an Spanish translated version of Mail Washer Pro. I am a registered user of Mail Washer Pro from many years ago.
And I want also to offer you a gift: My work to translate Mail Washer Pro to Spanish Language.
This job will be continued for all new versions of Mail Washer Pro during all my live.
Give me the source texts I have to translate, and I will do it in a very short time.
Hi there Antonio,
Thanks for the offer, it's appreciated. The current MailWasher is very difficult for us to translate, so it take a long time to do. Unfortunately we were not really getting the returns from the Spanish version so we discontinued it.
The new Mailwasher which we're working on makes this much easier, it's a text file which when loaded in to Mailwasher automatically works.
Have been a long time user of Mailwasher and in fact did some Beta testing on the original versions. Although I am getting older and have limited eyesight, I do still monitor my email and do some other computer stuff..
Two programs I just couldn't even think of doing without would be Mailwasher Pro and RoboForm
Thanks to all who have made my life just a little bit easier
You'll be pleased to hear the new version we are working on will mach it much to increase the font sizes as well :)
Chris, you gave me a free registration to pro several years ago because I had added to my "hot picks" page on a personal website (Pixel S. Aussiecat and MexDownunda). That website has long gone, and I have moved on to other things (still on the same budget of next to $0). I have to say that MailWasherPro has been the best tool I have ever had for weeding out the hundreds of spam emails I get daily on my many accounts. With out it I would have been so swamped that I could never have achieved what I have achieved over the past 3 years in Australian Independent Music Promotions, which I do full time as a volunteer from home (being a disabled pensioner). And it has saved hundreds of gigabytes of downloads of unsolicited mp3, wav and mpa files from musos in the USA who can't read "Australian and New Zealand Only". As I move on to my next stage project I will be re-adding links and banners and endorsements to all of my web profiles and sites. MailWasherPro is an awesome product, which I see to is installed on the computers of everyone who works with me and everyone who asks me to set up or (clean up) their computers. Your product is a serious winner. Watch for your surprise gift from me in the near future. Cheers!
That's a wonderful story Nana Mex, thank you for sharing it :)
I'm especially pleased it's helped you given you volunteer your time like this.
Many thanks
This is not a new post, but I do not see any email address for you.
I know it cannot be the right math answer, it's too simple. (o:
I bought MailWasher Pro years ago. Just loved it. A few months ago I bought a Mac.
I am so pleased to to read that you intend to do a version next year.
I look forward to it. Thank you for all the good work you do.
Yes, the new version of MailWasher will allow us to make a separate build for the Mac if there's enough interest - seems like there is!
Greetings,
I am a long-time registered user of MWP and consider it to be one of the best software purchases I've made in a computer career that spans more than three decades now. I regularly provide copies of the free version to clients and friends, and I know a great number of them have gone on to register it as well.
I have two questions for you about the program:
1) Have you ever considered a server-side version that could integrate in a webmail application such as SquirrelMail or RoundCube?
2) Is there any possible way to change the background colors in the mail listings? The bright red and bright green are very harsh on my eyes, and my girlfriend can't use it at all due to damage to her eyes as a child.
Hi Bernie,
Great to see you're a long time user.
In reply to your questions:
1. We're looking at this at the moment.
2. If you go to Settings>>Spam Tools>>Learning>>Recognising spam/Recognising mail you'll see some little coloured boxes for changing the colour.
Regards
Nick
I've been using MailWasher for ? years (so long I don't remember) and it's the #1 program I recommend to friends and relatives to handle spam. I'm surprised more people don't use it considering the white noise I hear about spam.
Anyway I just wanted to thank you and the few bucks I paid for the program is the best computer related money I've ever spent.
One thing though is that your own program flagged your update letter as spam and luckily I noticed it was checked for deletion before clicking on "Go". Maybe you should add your address as default "friend" during the install on new systems.
Thanks Jerry for the kind words - they are appreciated. We do actually add *@firetrust.com to the friendslist when it's first installed so maybe it got removed on yours somehow.
Nick
I learned about MailWasher way back, tried it, and found it WAY TOO CONVENIENT AND USEFUL so I had to send in a donation. Worth every penny being able to trash SPAM and go through my e-mails quickly. I can't ask for anything more.
Well...ummm...Maybe I don't need anything more from MailWasher, but I guess I can toss out some ideas...
Extremely Unreasonable Suggestion Number 1:
- Web-based MailWasher. While I'm at work, I use GMail to get at my personal e-mail, as my company blocks POP/SMTP ports (of course). You cannot delete the e-mail on your server via GMail (Google Mail), so when I go home, I have to delete it again. What if MailWasher had some kind of web interface like GMail? Or maybe you guys can go bug the GMail guys and allow for deletes. All you programmer guys know each other, right?
Even More Unreasonable Suggestion Number 2:
- Now if the MailWasher crew would consider grabbing the original Eudora source from Qualcomm and keeping that little beastie going as-is as a Windows app (not as part of Mozilla's e-mail reader)...C'mon...I know you wanna!!!! ;-)
Eh, OK, I'll stop being silly. Thanks for keeping MailWasher going! :-)
...kl...
Cheers Ken
We're thinking like you!
1. Looking at a web based mailwasher - still need to flesh out the bits and pieces of it though but I agree it would be nice to be able to view all your email in one place via a web browser.
2. Ok, we're not thinking like you here :) It's not a bad thought though - I think we want to get a lot of other things done first. I reckon a nice simple email client would go down quite well.
Hi Chris,
Just to say I couldn't live without MailWasher Pro. I noticed the new version the other day and already been using 6.3 a while now. My main e-mail does filter a lot of spam these days, but the odd one slips through and unless I log in by website and 'Junk' it, is a pain to do. Your program really helps rid my e-mail of crap and even delete the odd unnecessary e-mail while retaining others such as PayPal. It also does my main e-mail and my CV one at the same time and then loads Thunderbird which does the same thing. (Thunderbird great, Firefox 3 - hate it).
It is such a good tool, I'll probably find something to send you for the next release. Three things I'd like:
Windows XP SP3 compatible, not just Vista - only use XP!
MailWasher Pro to be the default mail program loaded.
Ability to import/export settings to a file, so you can set another PC up/reinstall MailWasher with the same understandings it had before!
I gave up with Sitehound 1.x as it got annoying update wise and IE7 came out, but MailWasher Pro is absolutely essential.
Thanks Jason :)
We'll be making sure it runs fine on XP, and we also intend to store settings in files instead of the Registry, so exporting will be easy. We will try to include an export/import facility in MailWasher as well to make it even easier.
SiteHound is also being rewritten soon, and we intend to remove the constant updates :)
Thanks again
I can only echo the many accolades already posted here. Mailwasher is fantastic and a "must have" app. As a long time registered client/user/admirer (2003 or so) I would like to add a couple of items to the discussion.
"Even More Unreasonable Suggestion Number 2:
- Now if the MailWasher crew would consider grabbing the original Eudora source from Qualcomm and keeping that little beastie going as-is as a Windows app (not as part of Mozilla's e-mail reader)...C'mon...I know you wanna!!!! ;-)
Eh, OK, I'll stop being silly. Thanks for keeping MailWasher going! :-)"
1. If it's any consolation, I still use Eudora (v6.something) and have yet to find a decent mail program that tops it. I don't need/want innumerable emoticons and fancy HTML bloated messages. So if there's even an inkling of consideration, a wee spark of interest with regard to the above suggestion, I say Heave Ho matey! pitter-patter, lets get at 'er and that rot. Count me in!
2. Being from all the way up here in the great wet/white north (take your pick), and given that you've already ruled out some of the "fun" stuff I was thinking of eg pure glacial water, real CDN maple syrup, Prairie Oysters, real Beer, etc, is there anything you can think of (that will fit in the Post box and comply with NZ regulations that is) that you might have in mind for Canadian Memorabilia?
Thanks again eh!
PS Sorry Pam Anderson is on the embargo list...
Hah...now there's a woman who certainly wouldn't fit through the PO Box :) Well, she'd get most of the way....
1 - That's two votes then. I agree too, Eudora was pretty good. We'll keep all options open.
2 - Maple Syrup is awesome, especially the real stuff. My dad is Americanborn so there was years of childhood memories of Waffles & Maple Syrup. But please, if you do send anything the discretion is entirely yours, we don'twant to come across greedy :)
Chris,
Just a note of gratitude for MWP. I've been a paid registered user for at least 5 years or so, and I must admit I'd feel a bit naked without it. It's always the one of the first 5 applications I install right behind MS Office, whenever I rebuild or build a new PC. I've always recommended it to friends and I know a few that have gone on to purchase as well.
A little gift which I've often enjoyed, and added a little 'flair' to some emails. Through the years of spending lots of time on multiple web forums, I've managed a decent collection of "smileys". Most are animated gifs, but with the advent of Office 07, most of that enjoyment has been lost. However, there's still some good ones to enjoy. Pass me your email address, and I will send a link to you.
Kind regards,
Keith
You guys are really great. In lieu of donations for the past few years since there is apparently no way to simply donate, I re-subscribe to First Alert as a "Thanks!!!!" You have saved us from the hordes.
As we have a number of web sites which of course multiplies the amount of spam we get - the record was 900 in just over an hour, Mailwasher has been salvation.
That's a lot of email. If you run your own mail server then you could check out MailWasher Server as well.
Love the website too, have wanted a Doberman, currently we have a Russian Wolfhound, thinking about getting a Rottweiler,Doberman, or Irish Wolfhound. Probably will be the latter.
Simply put, MWP rules!
Bought my first computer in December of 1999, found MW beta not too much later and now I'll never be without MWP. The first time I tried the MW beta, I just had to send in a contribution.
My only disappointment with MWP was when during an upgrade, I lost my previous SPAM counts, etc so my current count of 218,300 is somewhere around 30,000 short. That and the fact the summary page can't show the exact number for I see 2183... instead of the entire total but that's only a minor nuisance.
The one thing I'd like to see is on the summary graph tab would be the ability to place the mouse over any day's line to see just how many emails and SPAM were received that day. Currently you can only estimate by trying to draw an imaginary line from the SPAM peak to the graph behind.
Without MWP, it would take me hours to sort through all that SPAM (83% of my daily emails) which has now grown to over 200 a day, sometimes over 400.
Thanks for one of the best programs ever created.
That's great. We'll be sure we improve the Stats for the new version as well, there's a lot of improvements we could make.
If you don't want to use the PO Box address above, then it's
Firetrust Limited
Level 3, Securities House
221 Gloucester St
Christchurch 8011
New Zealand
Thanks again :)
I'm not sure how I'd survive email as it is today without Mailwasher Pro because I'd be buried in spam. In the beginning I used to go through everything, blacklisted and all, just to be sure someone didn't get in there by mistake. No longer. Now I just add the new bad stuff to the blacklist and click Process Mail. It's great.
I'm going to put your link on my new site. Should be live in a couple of weeks.
Thanks again for keeping me above ground.
Susan Bush
Liberty Manuals Co.
PS - I love NZ. If you'd just bring it a bit closer to the US, I'd be able to get there more often.
Many thanks Susan. I have family in the US so I know how it feels being so far away. With the NZ dollar crashing, you would get good value for money with US $ too :)
Thanks guys, I love the way MP 6.1 is working and do not desire to upgrade. I will be sending you a US bank check by snailmail (hope you accept US checks ha ha) as a donation. Glad to see you guys still have a sense of humor even after we have caused a meltdown of the world economy. Keep up the good work and thanks for MP, I would be lost without it.
I have a registered version but I will still send you a little gift.
Hope that "dairy products" does not include Swiss chocolate :-))
My best wishes to you all for all the hard work you've put into Mailwasher over the years.
I've been using MW since the day it was born and, just like American Express, I wouldn't leave home without it. I NEVER use anything else to check my mail. MW does a fantastic job of filtering the garbage, thus preventing it from ever getting to my machine. It is the most functional and beneficial programs I have ever loaded on my machine. It should be an integrated part of any operating system as it does more to protect your machine than most of the other programs combined.
GREAT JOB guys!!!
Chris, you said "I should have included that we wouldn't take Bank stock ;)"
How about one share of Enron? It must be worth something ;(
I love the program, Mailwasher and Agent are the only two programs that I went out of my way to donate/purchase online. (2003 for MWP)
I still use both daily, and both still perform above and beyond my expectations.
Thanks for a great functional, not-bloated software package that works as advertised.
I have corresponded with you for years with praise.
I even asked you one time if you were planning to develop mailwasher for cell phones...remember?
Mailwasher has been one of my favorite and most useful programs.
When you developed the Pro version I did not hesitate to purchase it...it was time to give you something for it.
I will download the new version, thanks!
Now that you are taking trade, although I paid full price, I will send you a killer chicken recipe, a creation of my own...YUMMMM!
Enjoy!
Flower.
:-)
What a cool idea! .... but what a nightmare of an accountant.....I'm guessing you don't like yours...HA HA HA.
I buy my MWP and I always will. I could not live with out this program as the amount of JUNK mail I get is nutz!!
I recommend your program all the time, just as it was recommended to me. I love it.
Now back to the trade.....hmmmmmm I'm thinking if I sent you a cake by the time it got there it would crawl out of the box by itself...and I'm not sure if it would fall under the embryo description or just a new kind of pet, LOL....... any whoo I will think of something creative to send just because. Not for trade but more for amusement and a big ol thank you! Tracii
Was glad (+ amused) about your gift exchange program. Good reading + brings the personal touch back.
Thanks for your superb program. I've used it ever since it was just MailWasher... and heard about it from Steve Bass's Pasadena PIBMUG meeting (those were the days...I miss PIBMUG). I bought Pro of course when it came out. Anyway, keep up the great work!
Btw, what are your gps coordinates in case I parachute an exchange item for another copy of MailWasher Pro? You're the best.
Cheers!
-Will :)
Hi Chris,
L o n g time registered user (maybe 8 years now?) and think your program is wonderful and love your sense of humor and your blog. Having read about the new upgrade I've decided that I have not fairly compensated you for years of good programming. A check will be sent, but a check is SO impersonal. I live in the Redwood Forest of California, on the coast. The most indigenous product (redwood) is too heavy to mail, so my second choice is Blackberry jam (homemade by me and hubby). But that might not make it through customs (is it considered a fruit?). What about smoked salmon? I live on the Klamath River and we smoke salmon every summer. Well, you pick and I'll mail:Blackberry jam or smoked salmon?
Keep up the good work! And PS: what's with the math question?
Yeah the math question sucks, but it keeps a lot of the spam posts away. We were getting a few hundred a day before we put that question in, now it's only a handful.
Sadly the fish and jam probably wouldn't make it through, which is bad, because it sounds very tasty :) Our Customs are *very strict, as NZ is still free of many common pests, though this makes it vulnerable as well
Hillary Swank got fined $150 for bring a single Orange and Apple and failed to declare it to Customs. :)....but we all get the same treatment as well.
We aren't greedy and we aren't fussy. If you ever see anything you think is appropriate, then absolutely, we'd love to receive it, and many thanks too. Your payment already and appreciation of my sense of humour (which my girlfriend would disagree with) is thanks enough :)
Thanx 4 offers