Spam filtering with a human touch

Grok Headline matches for Spam filtering with a human touch

Human-Powered Spam Filtering

Human-Powered Spam Filtering 09/20/2004 10:28 AM

[OT] Safe spam filtering methods (was:
Is predictable spam filtering a
vulnerability?)

[OT] Safe spam filtering methods (was:
Is predictable spam filtering a
vulnerability?) 06/22/2004 11:56 PM
The Fungi (Jun 20 2004)

Microsoft calls for outbound spam
filtering against spam

Microsoft calls for outbound spam
filtering against spam 06/04/2004 10:42 AM
Computer Weekly Jun 4 2004 2:14PM GMT

Google's Human Touch

Google's Human Touch 03/21/2003 01:36 PM

Pre-Filtering The Spam

Pre-Filtering The Spam 06/29/2004 03:54 PM
My anti-spam system now uses a variety of server and client side filters to help keep the damn stuff out of the inbox. Now, some are suggesting an even earlier level "pre-filter" for spam. HP Labs has made a fairly simple discovery that even without various email authentication systems, it's pretty easy to get a quick determination as to whether or not an email is spam. The system they developed looks at whether or not the server sending you the email normally sends good emails or sends spam. With that one determination, they can properly pre-classify emails at a pretty high success rate. It's not a replacement for a spam filter at all. They know it's not that good. However, what it can do is do a pre-sort for prioritization purposes -- so that good emails tend to make it through the real spam filters faster. In a number of ways, it's pretty sad that we now need "quality of service" setups for our email.

New Method of Spam Filtering

New Method of Spam Filtering 02/19/2004 02:06 PM

Spam filtering, the next chapter

Spam filtering, the next chapter 05/24/2004 09:17 AM
I've been experiencing good results filtering out spam with a combination of Popfile (a Bayesian classifier) and the built-in filter in Eudora 6.  I get well over 1,000 spams a day, so I need accuracy both in identifying spams and avoiding false positives with legitimate mail. 

The biggest problem with my setup is that it all runs on the client side.  Popfile works as a transparent proxy that runs on my Windows machine.  I don't see the spam in my inbox, but I still have to download it before it can be filtered.  As the spam volumes have increased, that has become an increasingly significant burden.  Every check pulls down scores of messages, most of which wind up in the trash.  I've had several cases where the sheer numbers crash Eudora. Getting email through my Treo is basically a waste of time, because it doesn't have the filters.  If I'm on the road and don't check my mail, there are thousands of messages waiting for me when I get back. 

I finally had time this weekend to set up filtering on the server side.  Werbach.com and my other domains run through a Web hosting provider, Pair Networks, which offers a version of SpamAssassin.  The tricky part was configuring it to automatically filter or delete messages, using procmail, rather than just putting something in the email header for later processing on the client. 

I think I have it working now.  I'm using SpamAssassin on a forgiving setting, because the client-side filters are still running after the mail goes through.  If I can just weed out 60% of my spams before they reach my machine, life would be much better.  So far, it looks like I can do significantly better than that. 

I'm still tweaking the set-up, so it's possible some legitimate email will get stuck in the filters.  If you write to me and don't get a response for a while, please try again. 

ISP Hesitate Over Spam Filtering

ISP Hesitate Over Spam Filtering 06/03/2004 02:24 AM
As the spam battle wages on, most of the focus is on end-users and law enforcement. Not too many people seem to focus on the role of ISPs, who sometimes do take a more proactive role in stopping spam. The problem, though, is that when the ISP filters spam, they often run into issues with false positives. If the filters are too loose (to avoid false positives) then too much spam gets through, and users are upset. If the filters are too tight, important messages go missing, and users are upset. Many ISPs are realizing, at the very least, they need to let the end-user have access to the spam folder, so they can occasionally sort through it for false positives - but very few users ever bother to look through it. Some ISPs don't offer any kind of filtering at all, claiming that they don't see how to make money off of it - which seems especially short-sighted. If they can offer sufficient spam filtering, they're much more likely to keep customers than if they simply let everything through when customers are looking to their providers to provide protection from the onslaught of spam. No matter what, it's becoming clear that the spam fight needs to be approached from various angles, and many customers are likely to bail out on ISPs that don't at least offer a spam filtering option.

Re: Is predictable spam filtering a
vulnerability?

Re: Is predictable spam filtering a
vulnerability? 06/18/2004 01:01 PM
Joel Eriksson (Jun 17 2004)

A Unique Approach to Spam Filtering

A Unique Approach to Spam Filtering 07/06/2004 03:03 AM
Frontgate MX brings a New Level of Simplicity to Personal E-mail Protection With a Unique "Single Step" Approach to Spam Filtering. [PRWEB Jul 6, 2004]

Using AI for Spam Filtering (w/ Source
Code)

Using AI for Spam Filtering (w/ Source
Code) 07/11/2004 09:20 AM

Verizon sued over spam filtering

Verizon sued over spam filtering 02/01/2005 08:53 PM
Upset Verizon customers have filed a class-action lawsuit over the telco's aggressive spam filtering. Verizon's blacklists are allegedly blocking all mail from some countries.

Bayesian spam filtering for the masses

Bayesian spam filtering for the masses 10/30/2003 11:59 PM
Spam, or unsolicited commercial e-mail, is now a sad part of everyday life online. Research companies estimate that more than 50% of the worldwide e-mail traffic is spam. As a result, it's becoming constantly more difficult and time-consuming to sort out legitimate e-mails from the deluge of commercial messages we're being flooded with. But there are ways to fight back. In this series, we'll walk through choosing and setting up a highly effective package for screening out spam.

Is predictable spam filtering a
vulnerability?

Is predictable spam filtering a
vulnerability? 06/17/2004 03:44 AM
R Armiento (Jun 16 2004)

I thought that our spam filtering had
suddenly got...

I thought that our spam filtering had
suddenly got... 12/29/2003 10:31 PM
I thought that our spam filtering had suddenly gotten way better, but turns out, my pyra.com mail just started bouncing instead of forwarding. Bummer. If you tried to reach me at pyra.com try doing so at google.com. Or just wait (upon DNS updating, it should be fixed).

Mailsmith gets server-side spam
filtering, more

Mailsmith gets server-side spam
filtering, more 07/21/2004 11:18 AM
Bare Bones Software today announced the release of Mailsmith 2.1.2, the latest version of its powerful e-mail client...

Extreme Spam Filtering – When Filters
and Blacklists Are Not Enough.

Extreme Spam Filtering – When Filters
and Blacklists Are Not Enough. 02/07/2005 01:05 AM
Protect Multiple POP, Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail, or IMAP E-mail Accounts from Spammers with 0Spam.com. Compatible with all E-mail clients and operating systems. [PRWEB Feb 6, 2005]

Microsoft calls for outbound filtering
against spam

Microsoft calls for outbound filtering
against spam 06/04/2004 07:29 AM
SAN JOSE, California -- In its continuing fight against unsolicited commercial e-mail, Microsoft Corp. plans to filter outgoing messages on its consumer mail services and is busy developing new "proofing" technologies, the software maker's chief spam fighter said Thursday.

Microsoft pushes spam-filtering
technology

Microsoft pushes spam-filtering
technology 06/24/2005 03:25 PM
ZDNet Jun 23 2005 2:00AM GMT

Notice to customers using e-mail
filtering "SPAM" software

Notice to customers using e-mail
filtering "SPAM" software 11/15/2003 11:03 AM
...

Mailsmith 2.1.2 adds server-side spam
filtering, more

Mailsmith 2.1.2 adds server-side spam
filtering, more 07/21/2004 11:12 AM
Bare Bones Software Inc. on Wednesday released an update to Mailsmi th, their e-mail client for Mac OS X. New features in this release include support for server-side spam filtering, the ability to process incoming messages with Unix tools during download, and new preferences and interface enhancements.

PowerMail's user interface, spam
filtering updated

PowerMail's user interface, spam
filtering updated 05/24/2004 09:10 AM
CTM Development has released PowerMail 5.0, a major upgrade of the Mac OS X mail client...

Eudora 6.0: E-Mail Favorite Gets
Built-In Spam Filtering But Still Shows
Its Age

Eudora 6.0: E-Mail Favorite Gets
Built-In Spam Filtering But Still Shows
Its Age 12/19/2003 11:32 AM
Eudora is an undeniably powerful product. It's fast -- especially when searching thousands of archived messages -- and quite flexible once you take the time to learn its quirks. Its new spam-filtering features are first-rate, especially since they support third-party spam-filtering tools. By Jason Snell (Macworld via MyAppleMenu)

Re: Is predictable spam filtering a
vulnerability? (silently dropping
messages)

Re: Is predictable spam filtering a
vulnerability? (silently dropping
messages) 06/22/2004 08:18 PM
Martin Mačok (Jun 22 2004)

Re: Is predictable spam filtering a
vulnerability? (silently drop ping
messages)

Re: Is predictable spam filtering a
vulnerability? (silently drop ping
messages) 06/24/2004 04:28 PM
Stephen Warren (Jun 24 2004)

Human Spam Filter

Human Spam Filter 08/05/2004 08:41 AM
I wonder if there are anyone out there who will want to employ me to be their human spam filter. I'll do nothing the whole day except to read e-mail and to manully tag junk e-mails and spam. Guaranteed 100 percent accuracy only after, say, 1 week of training.
But seriously, folks. For those who depend on the e-mail inbox for their livelihood, this seems to be a service that will be valuable. What do you think?

MailFoundry Depends On Human Spam
Fighters

MailFoundry Depends On Human Spam
Fighters 09/14/2004 07:39 AM

Human, all too human -- News-Digests.Com
re-launches

Human, all too human -- News-Digests.Com
re-launches 06/08/2004 02:59 AM
Human news aggregation operation expands to multiple publications. [PRWEB Jun 8, 2004]

Spam, spam, spam, spam ... Canada
targets unwanted email (AFP)

Spam, spam, spam, spam ... Canada
targets unwanted email (AFP) 05/12/2004 04:17 AM
AFP - Canada unveiled a new action plan to combat unsolicited commercial e-mail, nicknamed spam, which jams inboxes and clogs Internet traffic worldwide.

Human Capital Institute and Human
Capital Magazine Announce Agreement

Human Capital Institute and Human
Capital Magazine Announce Agreement 06/22/2005 03:00 AM
The Human Capital Institute (HCI), a non-profit think tank, educator and professional association, and Human Capital, a leading talent management magazine, announced today an agreement to bring HCI's game-changing research and information to readers of Human Capital. [PRWEB Jun 22, 2005]

Finance Spam Passing Drug Spam While
Porn Spam Is Washed Up

Finance Spam Passing Drug Spam While
Porn Spam Is Washed Up 05/24/2004 05:37 PM
The latest study on spam trends appears to show that financial spam is outpacing pharmaceutical spam - though, honestly, so much of both is coming out that it's really hard to imagine that this matters at all. Meanwhile, it seems that porn spam is increasingly less interesting to spammers as the numbers have been on a noticeable decline for quite some time. No matter what, though, it appears that CAN-SPAM has done absolutely nothing to slow down the amount of spam sent.

From spam drops to spam spray to spam
stream

From spam drops to spam spray to spam
stream 06/05/2004 07:31 PM
I am now getting 2,000+ spams a day. There are 1,440 minutes in a day The rate of incoming spams is therefore getting close to the interval it takes me to check my email and dispose of a single spam: By the time I'm done checking, more spam has arrived. That is the point at which the spam droplets form a continuous stream. And that is the point at which no interval of my life will ever be spam-free again....

S. Korea's filtering

S. Korea's filtering 02/01/2005 09:09 PM
The OpenNet Initiative has found that in the process of blocking access to 31 pro-North Korea sites, the South Korean government has blocked 3,167 unrelated domains. Apparently this happened because the NK sites were on servers outside of NK that SK blocked. (The OpenNet Initiative is sponsored by the Berkman Center, U of Toronto and U of Cambridge.) [Technorati tag: korea]...

html filtering

html filtering 07/01/2002 08:28 AM
Advogato Jun 29 2002 11:04AM ET

TMDA Filtering via procmail?

TMDA Filtering via procmail? 03/11/2003 01:22 AM
Has anyone managed to write a procmail recipe that can effectively identify TMDA auto-replies? You know, the kind that say "To release your message for delivery, please send an empty message..." Having never used TMDA, I don't know what's commonly customized and what I can expect to see there. I note that the header has X-Delivery-Agent: TMDA/0.62. Perhaps that's sufficient. :0 * ^X-Delivery-Agent: TMDA /dev/null Do folks commonly (or ever) modify their TMDA setup to get around the fact that...

ATI cheating with Anistropic Filtering?

ATI cheating with Anistropic Filtering? 05/16/2004 08:41 PM

Is Google Filtering New Sites?

Is Google Filtering New Sites? 05/06/2004 11:40 AM
Search Engine Lowdown May 6 2004 4:13PM GMT

PHP-Nuke Filtering Bugs

PHP-Nuke Filtering Bugs 05/24/2002 11:27 AM

Regional Google Filtering

Regional Google Filtering 10/25/2002 07:23 AM
Jonathan Zittrain and Benjamin Edelman have released their latest report, systematic documentation of how Google.de and Google.fr filter controvertial sites. Google gives no notice that results are being filtered (as they do with the DMCA) and have nothing about it on their website (although they did acknowledge the practice in one email I found). Declan McCullagh asked for a list of blocked sites but Google refused to supply one. The authors list 113 sites they found thru trial-and-error to be blocked and again let you submit your own and record the results. Disclaimer: I assisted the authors with portions of the report....
Grok Description matches for Spam filtering with a human touch
GrokA matches for Spam filtering with a human touch

Spam filtering with a human touch

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