On 30.04.2006 10:26, Mike Easter wrote:
--- Original Message ---
Post by Mike EasterPost by UserWhat "good" is SpamCop doing to abate spam?
... also add 'abusive servers' which also get SC reported for such as
backscatter. Abusive servers definitely remedy themselves and abate
that abusive activity.
Yes, but in a minority of cases, IMHO of course, as witnessed by the
proliferation of spam coming from the same source(s) day after day.
Different spam, same server(s).
Post by Mike EasterGenerally the 'good' effect is not to abate spam, but to contribute to
the various overall processes of spamfiltering mechanisms.
- Rarely there is the possibilty that reporting to a spamvertiser
provider can inform a whitish-hatted provider about spamvertising and
result in that provider taking action against the spamvertiser. The
more general situation is that the spamvertiser provider's hat is not
white and the provider is not interested in the courtesy SC report
Unfortunately the "white hats" are outnumbered by the "black hats".
There's LOTS of $$$$ to be made in all facets of "spamvertising", eg.,
the beneficiary of the spam, the advertiser and the server owner.
Post by Mike Easter- Occasionally the spamsource providers who are notified about their
spamsources which are generally abused open proxy trojan user IPs will
take note of their insecurity and remedy it. It is not uncommon that
some whitehat server 'discovers' an insecurity as a result of spamcop
source reports or listings or blocked mail.
Agree
Post by Mike EasterPost by UserThe same spam just keeps
coming in day after day, week after week, advertising the same stuff,
Correct. SC doesn't do much of anything to actually descrease the
incoming spam.
And THAT is where I think my disillusionment is centered.
Post by Mike EasterPost by Userappears to be from the same central sources and we continue reporting
to what seems like no avail.
The avail is to contribute to the SCbl which aids me and many others
with one of our dnsbl spamfilters. There are antispam effects of
filtering the spam even when the filtering isn't actually a reduction in
spam. The more effective filtration is, the less people actually
'encounter' or see their spam subjects or have an opportunity to open
their spam and profit the spam process.
Filtering only hides it, doesn't address it but I understand what you're
saying.
Post by Mike EasterThe spamvertisers which are 'indirectly' reported to the sc-surbl help
those who are using the surbl as a body filter.
Post by UserAlso appears that a great deal of this spam is channeled through
open-relays.
The term 'open relay' applies to open smtp relays. I see virtually no
spam coming thru' open relays these days. Perhaps you mean injected an
an 'open' or available proxy trojan user IP. That is a different
mechanism than an open smtp relay.
Approximately 25% of all spam I report to SC says:
xxx.xxx.xxx is an "open relay"
Post by Mike EasterPost by UserLooks to me like spam is just too large an entity to be addressed by
conventional methods ... Hmmm, perhaps a .44 Magnum would be a solution? :-D
I tend to interpret those remarks as encompassing some 'frustration'
with spamload. IMO, the management of one's mailbox should be very
'painless' -- not frustrated by spamload. For me, virtually 100% of my
spam is channeled into a Junk folder which doesn't even appear 'before
my eyes' or in my 'range of consciousness' unless I choose to go visit
it. When I choose to visit it, in a matter of seconds it is reported to
SC. That reporting contributes to the SCbl. That SCbl is part of my
armamentarium of dnsbl/s which make up the 'shield' which channels the
spam into the Junk folder. So, my mailbox and my spamhandling is both
painless and self-reinforcing.
Not "frustrated" but rather puzzled as to the enormity of the spam load
and why "something" cannot be done. Passing any sort of legislation in
the U.S. is nothing less than laughable. It's BIG business, maybe too big.
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My Son, the *NIX guru to end all gurus (teaches *nix at the college
level) and the proverbial "can find humor in most anything", had nothing
better to do one day when he got another one of those "increase the size
of your penis" spams.
He calculated that if he took just ONE pill from EACH spam purporting to
lenthen by x number of inches, his member would have reached a total
length of 28.58341 FEET by now.
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Thanks for the "enlightenment" and I'm off to once again to edit my
server's SpamAssassin prefs.