Re: tlug: SPAM - not just us...

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <turnbull@example.com>]

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tlug note from "Stephen J. Turnbull" <turnbull@example.com>
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>tlug note from Craig Oda <craig@example.com>

>I've been using despam.  I checked my logs and it caught 6 messages
>in the last 12 hours and put them in /dev/null.  It works with
>procmail.  What is everyone else using?  I'm collecting info
>right now on the best technical solution.

Where did you get despam?  URL!  URL!  URL!

<IMHO>

>>>>> "Totoro" == Totoro  <riley@example.com> writes:

    Totoro> I use a very low-tech approach, and have seen the x-rated
    Totoro> spam mail drop to zero, and there is little other trash

All I've seen recently is MLM; I'm not sure what my filter is
catching, though.  X-rated stuff has never been much above 20% for me.

    Totoro> coming in these days.  Apparently lots of these companies
    Totoro> are watching email addresses from the java cookies and
    Totoro> also usenet postings. I just put a bogus email address in
    Totoro> my Netscape preferences, as well as my news reader. The
    Totoro> sig file shows my real email, should someone want to
    Totoro> respond to me that way.

I personally don't respond directly to people for whom 'r' doesn't
work unless it's really, really important.  Like those cases where I
think it's only fair to CC: them when I write to their postmasters. :-)
I know a fair number of people who feel that way.  Cut and paste is
too much work, especially if I have to scroll to the .sig.  If you use
the "-- " convention, that gets stripped by my reader anyway....

    Totoro> Seems like the best way, personally, until the spammers
    Totoro> get a better script. YMMV.

I won't do it; I'm not going to respond to people who are ashamed to
put their return addresses in the headers by faking my own address.

Also, most of my current junk mail is being forwarded via gol.com, and
I have _never_ sent mail to a mailing list or posted to Usenet from
that address.  Where they got it, I don't know.  I also get a certain
amount of junk mail addressed to "Webmaster".  That obviously comes
from my Web site.  I'm not going to fake that address....

I believe spam is going to go away in the not too distant future, as
intelligent agents start getting deployed, and big mail hubs start
authenticating sending systems (so that only people with contracts can
send from "outside" to "outside").  In the meantime, I'm going to keep
filtering through procmail.  If only for the enjoyment of getting some
accounts revoked....

</IMHO>

Steve

-- 
                            Stephen J. Turnbull
Institute of Policy and Planning Sciences                    Yaseppochi-Gumi
University of Tsukuba                      http://turnbull.sk.tsukuba.ac.jp/
Tel: +81 (298) 53-5091;  Fax: 55-3849              turnbull@example.com
Next TLUG meeting is Saturday October 11, 1997
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