Secretly buried in AT&T’s website is a way to block certain nuisance text messages that plague your mobile existence.

You have to navigate to a special independent Messaging Preferences page. Since this page is so disconnected from the AT&T main website, you have to register your phone number and a password specifically for this service - even if you have a MyWireless login.

After you register your phone, you will get a text message a registration number that you will need to complete your registration and start changing options.

Right now your blocking choices are: Block text messages that are sent to you from email, Block all multimedia messages that are sent to you from email, Block all messages sent from all mobile numbers, Block messages sent from specific email accounts or domains and Allow only messages sent from specific email accounts or domains.

Although the available options are a good first step, for some users it may not go far enough. In an email to AT&T they said they are working on specific phone number blocking as well (a la T-Mobile).