From: Harvey Newstrom (mail@HarveyNewstrom.com)
Date: Tue Apr 09 2002 - 13:37:13 MDT
On Tuesday, April 9, 2002, at 12:38 pm, scerir wrote:
>> The solution to removing spam (if you have access to the Unix shell
>> for your email) is procmail plus spambouncer.
>
> NewScientist.com - NEWSFLASH
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> New breed spam filter slashes junk email
>
I already have a simple filter that works to block almost all spam. My
e-mail filter simply makes sure that mail coming into my mailbox is
actually addressed to me. Spammers usually don't reveal their address
list so that other spammers can't see them. As a result, most spam
appears in my mailbox, but doesn't actually show a "To:" field with my
address in it. Mail that is specifically addressed to me gets through,
while mail that goes to a mailing list does not.
This is not a perfect system. E-mail lists have to be put in a special
exception filter, or they get blocked as a mass mailing. This filter
also sometimes catches regular people who create their own mailing list
to use. But it does block everything except simple mail addressed to me
by name. Since I do not want to miss these, I divert them into a
probably-spam folder for review before I delete them. But it allows me
to read my real mail first, and then quickly scan through the spam.
This method blocks almost all spam and only rarely blocks a real message
intended for me.
Unfortunately, I find that most of the "new" spam blocking ideas don't
work for long. Spammers quickly retool their spam tools to get around
these blockers. They randomize their mail sending program, or forge it
into showing a home user. They randomize their mail address, forge
their mail address, or relay it through some unsuspecting company that
has nothing to do with the spam. They look at the spam blockers and
adjust their message to avoid any blocked words or phrases. They
actually test their spam to see what gets through and then start using
that.
I have seen pure evil, and it is spam.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Sat Nov 02 2002 - 09:13:21 MST