Ottawa has announced the creation of a task force charged with putting a stop to spam -- that torrent of unwanted, unsolicited e-mail that clogs Canadians' inboxes everyday.

Since their work could take some time, CTV.ca has come up with this list of tips you can use to wage a personal fight against the junk e-mail scourge.

Techniques you can immediately start using to keep your inbox spam-free include:

• Choose an Internet Service Provider with an aggressive policy against the junk e-mail that includes not only filtering out unwanted messages, but also preventing their database from spammers' prying eyes.
• Delete obvious junk mail without opening it.
• Never post your complete e-mail address online, as computer programs trawl the Internet automatically adding any they find to mass-mailing lists.
• Avoid sending out your own 'mass mailings,' as there is a risk the long list of your friends' e-mail addresses could wind up in spammers' hands.
• When filling out forms online, avoid checking those innocent-looking boxes asking if you'd like to be contacted "by select third parties concerning products I might be interested in."
• Use ready-made filters built in to e-mail software. Creating a list of recognized senders, for example, ensures you only receive mail from people you know. Otherwise, filters can keep a look out for the keywords, or long lists of recipients, that often flag an e-mail as spam.
• Don't believe unrecognizable e-mails promising some product or information "you requested"
• Never succumb to spammers' offers, as contributing to their bottom line only encourages the practice.
• Don't accept invitations to return the mail with the word 'remove' in the subject line, as this only alerts the spammer your address is active.
• If the torrent still doesn't stop, your only solution may be to get a new e-mail address.