there is a ton of info on the web about protecting yourself from spam, including this site,
but here is another useful link. You'll find a good tutorial in the left column.

http://www.blackviper.com/

But probably the best advice has already been dispensed with, namely deleting the old account and creating a new one (send it to "bit"-heaven). Now that you are armed with the knowledge and experience, you can manage your account better. Also, set up extra accounts for those occasions where you want to subscribe to a site. Like that you'll have a better chance of maintaining some privacy on the account that matters to you and when you delete accounts that have proven to be a pest, you won't have to loose your 'good' contacts.

It would be a great idea to declare a "Delete your e-mail account day". Everybody deletes
the pesky accounts 'en masse'. The spammers would have a heart-attack. No more database,
less revenue, and more headaches for them. Not 100% effective, but worth a try!!!

The idea gets better and better, the more I think of it.....yeah, "Delete your e-mail account day".