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Emails wrongly tagged as spam by Plusnet

jelv
Seasoned Hero
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Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Emails wrongly tagged as spam by Plusnet

In the topic Please post evidence of postini false positives here mikeb asked for people to post details of emails wrongly classd as spam by Postini.
Quote from: mikeb
I've started this thread to collect further evidence of false positives arriving via the postini service.  Just in case anyone doesn't understand exactly what that means, a false positive is a 100% genuine message that has been classified by postini as being spam for one reason or another.

Quite a few of the false positives I'm seeing are not because Postini think they are spam, but because Plusnet have made an utter cods of interpreting the Postini headers and are quite wrongly tagging the email as Spam1.
To check on what Postini thinks of an email you can post the full headers in to this tool:
http://www.postini.com/support/header_analyzer.php
Here's an example of what I mean. This email is the monthly MessageLabs Intelligence report - one of the leading alternatives to Postini.
[tt]Envelope-to: abc@xyz.plus.com
Delivery-date: Sat, 02 Feb 2008 14:08:25 +0000
Received: from exprod5mx250.postini.com ([64.18.0.170] helo=psmtp.com)
  by pih-sunmxcore15.plus.net with smtp (PlusNet MXCore v2.00) id 1JLJ2d-0003jV-Sd
  for abc@xyz.plus.com; Sat, 02 Feb 2008 14:08:25 +0000
Received: from source ([81.29.64.116]) by exprod5mx250.postini.com ([64.18.4.14]) with SMTP;
Sat, 02 Feb 2008 08:08:21 CST
Received: from twconnect.com (localhost [127.0.0.1])
by mail.twconnect.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 744248F819C
for <abc@xyz.plus.com>; Sat,  2 Feb 2008 14:08:16 +0000 (GMT)
Message-ID: <251591.connect@twconnect.com>
Date: Sat, 2 Feb 2008 14:08:16 +0000 (GMT)
From: MessageLabs Intelligence <mlireport@messagelabs.com>
To: abc@xyz.plus.com
Subject: [-SPAM-] =?UTF-8?Q?MessageLabs_Intelligence:_Spammers_Exploit_New_Year_Diffi?=
=?UTF-8?Q?dence_=E2=80=93_Financial_Uncertaint?=
=?UTF-8?Q?ies_and_Personal_Insecurities?=
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: multipart/related; type="multipart/alternative";
boundary="----=_Part_9611_25951650.1201961296412"
X-pstn-neptune: 2/1/0.50/59
X-pstn-levels:    (S:31.61122/99.90000 CV:24.3639 R:95.9108 P:95.9108 M:88.2296 C:51.8443 )
X-pstn-settings: 1 (0.1500:0.1500) CV gt3 gt2 gt1 r p m C
X-pstn-addresses: from <mlireport@messagelabs.com> [31/3]
X-pn-pstn: Spam 1
X-PN-VirusFiltered: by PlusNet MXCore (v4.00)[/tt]
Pasting these headers in to the analyser linked above confirms that Postini do not consider it spam - It is Plusnet who have totally incorrectly tagged it as spam as they are mis-interpreting the Postini headers.
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
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24 REPLIES 24
Oldjim
Resting Legend
Posts: 38,460
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Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: Emails wrongly tagged as spam by Plusnet

Presumably due to the way PlusNet are using the category filters as that one triggered the Commercial Offer filter
Strat
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Registered: ‎14-04-2007

Re: Emails wrongly tagged as spam by Plusnet

Based on the S: score alone it would not even have merited a Spam 5 Roll_eyes
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mikeb
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Re: Emails wrongly tagged as spam by Plusnet

I'll see your 31.61132 and raise you 97.97078  Tongue
I think what we *really* need is a competition here with an appropriate prize for the biggest spam detection cods up. In fact maybe we could have two categories, one for postini and one for PN. Not sure what the prize should be but perhaps a years subscription to a half-decent anti-spam service provider and/or a years subscription to any reputable ISP that doesn't have quite such a cavalier attitude to customers e-mail would be good ?
Sorry and all that but I think I can recognise when the horse is dead so no point trying to flog it any more ! I've pretty much given up worrying about postini and PN's implementation thereof after a month messing around with it.  Unreliable and unpredictable with way too many false positives and way too many lost e-mails for it ever to be usable on my real A/C plus way too many false negatives into the bargain as well TBH despite the overly aggressive filtering by both parties. No real shortage of other customers with similar issues either so it's not just me and sadly I can't see PN fixing their own issues never mind being able to 'encourage' postini to fix theirs. Sorry PN, whatever the trial was and however it was conducted, it clearly wasn't that representative of real life if the excellent results you reported at the time are to be believed.  There's more to anti-spam solutions than putting out the flags proclaiming that "we reject 'n'% of all incoming e-mail".
Anyways, back to the all important competition, my entries from data actually received so far follow and I must say that I'm pretty confident that first prize in the PN category has my name on it. I'm reasonably confident in securing at least the runner's up prize for the postini category as well mind you Wink
For the PN category, an advice e-mail from a reputable organisation confirming the revised dates and other related information for a public event:
Quote
X-pstn-neptune: 0/0/0.00/0
X-pstn-levels: (S:97.97078/99.90000 CV:99.9000 R:95.9108 P:95.9108 M:81.4829 C:99.7951 )
X-pstn-settings: 1 (0.1500:0.1500) cv gt3 gt2 gt1 r p M c
X-pstn-addresses: from <rbf@rbf.pmailuk.com> [20/1]
X-pn-pstn: Spam 1

and for the postini category (because it's not quite bad enough to enter into the PN category), a 100% genuine daily digest from a reputable music festival related message board categorised as top quality p0rN:
Quote
X-pstn-2strike: clear
X-pstn-neptune: 0/0/0.00/0
X-pstn-levels: (S: 1.45489/99.87965 CV:99.9000 R:95.9108 P: 0.0059 M:97.0282 C:98.6951 )
X-pstn-settings: 1 (0.1500:0.1500) cv gt3 gt2 gt1 r P m c
X-pstn-addresses: from <forums@efestivals.co.uk> [20/1]
X-pn-pstn: Spam 1

PS: Just in case anyone decides to throw their toys out of the pram after reading this, it is actually intended to be a little bit of humorous and light relief to the frustrations of living with anti-spam solutions that don't quite do what they say on the tin as much as anything else.  Good luck to all those remaining with postini, I think you might be needing it Smiley


B T Plusnet, a bit kinda like P T Barnum ...

... but quite often appears to feature more clowns Tongue
jelv
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Re: Emails wrongly tagged as spam by Plusnet

I have been giving some thought to the problems we now see and (based on the Postini/Plusnet method of measuring the effectiveness of an anti-spam system) I have devised a method which will absolutely guarantee that 100% of all spam is prevented from reaching your inbox.
To see how to implement my method hover your mouse over the solution.
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
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mikeb
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Re: Emails wrongly tagged as spam by Plusnet

Ooooo, you're just so naughty Mr.Jelv Tongue but in any case, I'm way ahead of you on this, although I must say that your jolly fine solution is getting uncomfortably close to the patented solution offered to PN by Mikeb Inc absolutely ages ago Wink  and it absolutely guaranteed 100% spam rejection rate with 0% false positives and would pay £1000 for each and every spam or false positive that any customer received !
... wanders off to instruct Mr.Solicitor to check for possible patent infringement and/or obtain an injunction preventing clever people from giving out free advice to customers that kills the Ca$h Cow that is anti-spam, anti-virus or anti-any_other_kind_of_abuse systems where the business model relies on continuing abuse thus ensuring that the fundamental problem of abuse will never be addressed any time soon.


B T Plusnet, a bit kinda like P T Barnum ...

... but quite often appears to feature more clowns Tongue
pierre_pierre
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Re: Emails wrongly tagged as spam by Plusnet

Another Alternative, don't think I can copyright it.
Use Pen and Paper, but that doesn't have a built in spell checker
edit  Second thoughts, I still get a load of junk through my letter box, and I am signed up to the Mail Preference Service anti spam system, a lot is courtesy of HM Post Office?, unfranked! 
netreg
Grafter
Posts: 114
Registered: ‎24-08-2007

Re: Emails wrongly tagged as spam by Plusnet

I'm getting more of my wanted email in my spam folder than my inbox  Grin 
My entry into the competition is;  Shocked
X-pstn-levels:    (S:33.43804/99.90000 CV:99.9000 R:95.9108 P:95.9108 M:97.0282 C:60.2565 )
jelv
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 26,785
Thanks: 971
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Re: Emails wrongly tagged as spam by Plusnet

How about this one from a Yahoo group:
[tt]X-pstn-neptune: 0/0/0.00/0
X-pstn-levels:    (S:51.78989/99.90000 CV:99.9000 R:95.9108 P:95.9108 M:97.0282 C:51.8443 )
X-pstn-settings: 1 (0.1500:0.1500) cv gt3 gt2 gt1 r p m C
X-pn-pstn: Spam 1
[/tt]
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
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godsell4
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Re: Emails wrongly tagged as spam by Plusnet

Quote from: pierre_pierre
I still get a load of junk through my letter box ... courtesy of HM Post Office?, unfranked! 

OT ... sorry, I know. Sad There is something you can do about this, think you contact your sorting office or similar, they have to stop it if you tell them.
SW.
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https://portal.plus.net/my.html?action=data_transfer_speed
jelv
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Posts: 26,785
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Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: Emails wrongly tagged as spam by Plusnet

You're correct - but it will also stop official information as well - e.g. from the council.
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
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Strat
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Re: Emails wrongly tagged as spam by Plusnet

...like Council Tax bills?
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m063
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Re: Emails wrongly tagged as spam by Plusnet

Quote from: godsell4
There is something you can do about this, think you contact your sorting office or similar, they have to stop it if you tell them.

See this BBC News article from 2006 which gives details of how to opt out of unaddressed mail.
Update: Details on Royal Mail web site here
jelv
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 26,785
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Re: Emails wrongly tagged as spam by Plusnet

People need to be aware that it will stop everything delivered to you by the postman that is not addressed individually to your address. Our local parish, district and county councils send out a lot of information in that manner.
The annoying thing is that the opt out is all or nothing.
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
Broadband: Andrews & Arnold Home::1 (FTTC 80/20)
Line rental: Pulse 8 Home Line Rental (£14.40/month)
Mobile: iD mobile (£4/month)
Oldjim
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Re: Emails wrongly tagged as spam by Plusnet

Including the requirement to fill in the Register of Electors form which is always addressed to the Occupier