Q: Mark messages as spam to have them automatically filtered out of your inbox in the future. When you receive spam, select the message and mark it as spam. This will mark the sender as a spammer, and all subsequent messages will be diverted to your spam folder.  Most web mail clients (like Google Mail, Yahoo! Mail, Outlook, and more) already have built-in spam filters that automatically move spam to your account’s spam folder. Spam filters are able to recognize spam by their text characteristics and large numbers of recipients. Spam messages are e-mails randomly sent to a large number of recipients, often for marketing or scamming purposes. Since spam messages can contain viruses, it's a good idea to avoid opening the message in order to mark it as spam. It is better to simply delete the message, rather than get a virus while trying to mark it as spam. Different email clients will have more powerful spam filters and other features. If you aren't impressed with your email service, try using a different one.  Gmail is generally considered one of the more effective at filtering spam and has a large number of tools available for you to further control your email. If your email address requires that you use a particular client but you want to try another one, have your existing client forward your emails to a new address with a different client. You should only give your email to websites you trust and that have a good reputation. You don’t want to give out your e-mail address unless it's really important. An e-mail address is one of your personal points of contact, just like your cell phone or your home telephone number. Being responsible about signing up for websites will often help reduce your emails.  Although a website you give your email to might not email you themselves, they might sell your email address to another company which will spam you. Businesses that you give your email address to in real life may also do this. Be wary of particularly disreputable industries like travel agencies and bridal shows. Since they know exactly what you're looking to spend money on, they can easily sell your email address to related companies or services. Sometimes you might be inclined to post your email address on a website. This might be your own personal website or it might be the comments section of another website (like news websites or blogs). Another common mistake is posting your email address in forums. There are people who troll the web for email addresses and then sell those addresses to companies that want to send you spam. By taking some precautions, you can make sure this doesn't happen.  One common solution is to write the email out instead of just listing it. So, for example, "jackjohn@email.com" might become "jack john at email dot com". If the website where you want to post your email is your own, you can create a link which automatically generates an email to you instead of posting your address. This is known as a "mailto:" link.
A: Teach your email to recognize spam. Try a different email service. Avoid websites and services that ask for your email. Don't post your email address on websites.

Q: Visit your local nursery or garden store to pick out basil seeds you'd like to plant, or you can buy them online. You can often buy a packet containing over 100 seeds at a very low price. If you're buying the seeds online, do some research to find out which websites have the best seeds. Basil needs nutrient-rich soil that is able to drain water easily in order to grow into a healthy plant. You can find well-draining potting soil at a garden store, as well as online. The container should offer sufficient drainage and can be made of clay, plastic, stone, or concrete. Use a spray bottle filled with water to give the soil a little moisture before filling the container up with soil so that it’s not quite full.  Look for drainage holes in the bottom regardless of the material. These are critical to ensure good drainage and a healthy plant. Be sure to use a tray underneath your pot to prevent water from coming out of the holes and leaking all over. A regular clay pot is a popular option, or seedling trays made of plastic. If you’re using small seedling trays, try to place about 3 seeds in each tray. If you’re using a larger pot, scatter 5-7 seeds on top of the soil, placing them evenly apart from one another.  It’s important to plant more than 1 seed in each tray in case some of them don’t end up sprouting. Aim for spreading the seeds about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart from one another. You don’t need to press the seeds into the soil. You don’t need to add a thick layer, just enough to cover the seeds you’ve just planted—a layer of roughly 0.25 inches (0.64 cm). This will be just thick enough to protect the seeds while also helping them grow. Avoid packing down the soil once it’s in the container. Use a spray bottle filled with water to spray the soil with a little bit more moisture—especially the added top layer. If you don’t have a spray bottle, run your hands under a faucet or dip them in a cup of water and sprinkle the water over the soil using your fingers.  Place the pot or container on top of a tray to catch any water that leaks out. You can place a piece of plastic over the container or pot to lock in moisture. Basil thrives in full sun but needs at least 6 hours of sunlight each day to grow properly. The best spot to set up your basil plant would be near a well-lit, warm window.  Be careful if you’re setting the basil directly onto the windowsill. The glass window can cause the basil plant to become too warm or too cold more quickly than usual. If you are in the northern hemisphere, a south-facing window typically works best. If you don't have a space in your house that gets at least 6 hours of sun a day, consider using a supplemental light source. The exact amount of time it takes for your seeds to sprout will depend on the amount of sunlight they get, the soil temperature, and the available moisture. Be patient and continue to keep the seeds moist and warm.
A:
Purchase basil seeds from a reliable source. Use coarse, well-draining soil to plant the seeds in. Fill ¾ of a container with the soil. Scatter the seeds into the container of soil. Cover the seeds with a sprinkling of dry soil. Add additional moisture to the soil using a spray bottle. Place the container in a sunny spot indoors. Watch your basil seeds germinate after 5-10 days.