Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

["Thomas C. Meggs" <tom AT plik.net>]

If any of you guys happen to have your email going through a place where 
you can use something like procmail, check out a program called 
spamassassin. [http://spamassassin.org/]

Basically it's a perl script that is used to filter your incoming 
messages. It applies a set of rules which apply different points to a 
message, and then if a message reaches a certain threshhold of points, 
it is dubbed as spam with a special header. Then with procmail you can 
have it relocate said spam messages into another folder, or to /dev/null.

I've been using it for the last 6 months or so with a very close to 100% 
success rate. The only messages that it has trapped have been highly 
suspect to begin with. There have, however, been 2 occasions where a 
piece of spam for a specific site/product came through, but I just added 
the domains to the configurable blackhole list SpamAssassin provides.

Here is an example message which has been moved into my spam folder, it 
was the only message in the entire folder which had the word 'Banana' in 
it, so I thought it was appropriate...

--- Begin Message ---
Return-Path: <perf-errors.6409.138103.4703545.501.0.4 AT b.list-email.net>
Received: from out017.list-email.net (out017.list-email.net [66.180.247.67])
        by hoser.sphear.org (8.12.3/8.12.3/Debian -4) with SMTP id 
gBR7FgRp001324
        for <tom AT plik.net>; Fri, 27 Dec 2002 02:15:44 -0500
To: tom AT plik.net
From: BananaFritters-R4L <newsletter AT tfmb.net>
Subject: *****SPAM***** THOMAS, thank you!
Date: Thu, 26 Dec 2002 23:06:46 -0800
Message-ID: <1271446623-1463792382-1040972806 AT topica.com>
Errors-To: <perf-errors.6409.138103.4703545.501.0.4 AT b.list-email.net>
Reply-To: <perf-remove.6409.138103.4703545.0.0.4 AT b.list-email.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain
X-Spam-Status: Yes, hits=14.0 required=5.0 
tests=PLING,REMOVAL_INSTRUCTIONS,EXCUSE_14,NO_OBLIGATION,EXCUSE_3,CLICK_BELOW,CLICK_HERE_LINK,DIFFERENT_REPLY_TO 
version=2.20
X-Spam-Flag: YES
X-Spam-Level: **************
X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 2.20 (devel $Id: SpamAssassin.pm,v 
1.77 2002/04/06 19:28:30 hughescr Exp $)
X-Spam-Prev-Content-Type: multipart/alternative;
    boundary="1561637555.1463793406.1040972411"

SPAM: -------------------- Start SpamAssassin results ----------------------
SPAM: This mail is probably spam.  The original message has been altered
SPAM: so you can recognise or block similar unwanted mail in future.
SPAM: See http://spamassassin.org/tag/ for more details.
SPAM:
SPAM: Content analysis details:   (14 hits, 5 required)
SPAM: Hit! (0.5 points)  Subject has an exclamation mark
SPAM: Hit! (3.8 points)  BODY: Gives instructions for removal from list
SPAM: Hit! (1.1 points)  BODY: Tells you how to stop further SPAM
SPAM: Hit! (2.6 points)  BODY: There is no obligation.
SPAM: Hit! (2.7 points)  BODY: Claims you can be removed from the list
SPAM: Hit! (1.5 points)  BODY: Asks you to click below
SPAM: Hit! (1.8 points)  BODY: Tells you to click on a URL
SPAM: Hit! (0.0 points)  Reply-To: massively different from From: or To:
SPAM:
SPAM: -------------------- End of SpamAssassin results ---------------------

--1561637555.1463793406.1040972411
Content-Type: text/plain

Recipe4Living delivers the tastiest offers on the web. We
respect your privacy. If you no longer wish to receive
these yummy offers, see the removal instructions at the
bottom of the email.

___________________________________________________________

Recipes4Living  Recipes and advice for a healthly life
___________________________________________________________

This recipe for Banana Fritters has so many possibilities I
don't know where to begin. Serve these warm for dessert
with the topping of your choice. I can think of several that
sound great. Chocolate sauce, peanut butter sauce,
whipped cream, marshmallow sauce. Add a sprinkle of
chopped nuts and don't forget the cherry on top.

I just thought of another…caramel sauce. Wow!

Click on the link below for Banana Fritters from heaven
recipe.

http://c.tfmb.net/maaaJ5DaaU2WGaatTLNe/

** SNIP ** SNIP ** (there is more, but its just a bunch of drivel)
--- End Message ---

There are a few other programs out there which utilize Bayesian 
statistical analysis on Spam, which after a lengthy training process 
have a slightly higher success rate, but SpamAssasin has them far beat 
with its ease of use and setup.

At any rate, I highly reccomend that any of you with a growing Spam 
problem check it out! I've been in a Spam Free heaven for enough time 
that now I rarely hesitate when it comes to giving out my email address 
to questionable companies.

Regards,
Tom

Joey Carr wrote:
> Most of all the spam I receive at my work email is WHOIS related.  I
> registered a domain name and within two months I was getting more spam on
> that account than any other I've ever had.  Registering a domain is, IMHO,
> the worst thing you could do to avoid spam.
>
> On Sun, 19 Jan 2003, Sil Greene wrote:
>
>
> > Hmmm... This must be the first WHOIS-related spam I've gotten.  I'm sure 
> > no one here would pay first and ask questions later, but just in case, do 
> > verify with WHOIS that the domain is owned before clicking the link in the 
> > original email.  In this case, my registrar's regular prices were 
> > *slightly* cheaper.
> >
> > --Sil