Date: Sun, 3 Aug 1997 13:57:40 -0400 (EDT)
Message-Id: <199708031757.NAA10510@delorie.com>
From: DJ Delorie <dj AT delorie DOT com>
To: ao950 AT FreeNet DOT Carleton DOT CA
CC: djgpp AT delorie DOT com
In-reply-to: <5rrtoh$6o2@freenet-news.carleton.ca> (ao950@FreeNet.Carleton.CA)
Subject: Re: Spam [semi off topic]
Precedence: bulk


> DJ, can your mailserv detect spam and avoid propagating it? That cuts the
> spam audience by half. Can it also send cancels to control to nuke the

The mail server drops lots of spam, but spam is hard for a computer to
recognize.  Each one that gets through gets examined for key phrases I
can add to the filter.

> spam in the newsgroup? That would cut the rest out but your ISP might have
> an opinion about cancelling other peoples' messages, although I think it
> is justifiable in the War Against Spam(tm).

Cancelling newsgroup messages based on content is a major no-no on
usenet, regardless of how spammy they are.  The only alternative I've
seen is robo-moderation, where everyone who wished to post had to
register their e-mail address (the one used in the post) beforehand.

> To wit, I have noticed the Signal to Spam Ratio(tm) getting slowly worse
> over the past couple of weeks.

Two suggestions:

1. Ignore the spam.
2. Post a greater number of non-spam messages.