r the past year, and the two researchers have recently run the software on several computers. The devel- opers are very pleased with the results. The software directs all e-mails that don't contain an embedded Web address into the e-mail client's inbox. The end user can also create "white lists"-the opposite of black lists-of URLs that are acceptable, such as favorite news sites or online retailers. A "wild card" THE INTERNET RULES-IP TECHNOLOGIES category lets users tell the system to allow e-mails containing specified param- eters, such as messages with an ".edu." extension. The application also includes a "black list" feature that allows users to easily add URLs from unwanted e-marketers and others. The blacklisted e-mails are automatically delivered to a "Spam Can" that can be periodically checked to make sure no wanted e-mails were accidentally trashed. "We've had very few false positives," says Lipton. "It's important that the system not accidentally remove legitimate e-mail." Lipton and Lee have obtained a provisional patent on their new anti-spam tool. They plan to refine the application by adding several more customizable filtering features, finalize the patent, and write a paper about their project. The researchers hope to eventually license the as-yet unnamed application for widespread business and consumer use. 5.8 THE MEANING BEHIND MESSAGES Speak to someone on the telephone and you can tell by the way a person sounds-the tone of voice, inflections, and other nonverbal cues-exactly what the speaker means. These cues are missing from text-based e-mail and instant messages, leading users to often wonder what a particular message really means and whether the sender is being truthful. Researchers at the University of Central Florida are now looking into how people form opinions about others through e-mail and instant messages. Michael Rabby, a professor at the university's Nicholson School of Commu- nication, along with graduate student Amanda Coho, wants to find out what messages and phrases are most li