is anti spam working?

[#1]

Quote from: deekay

When Force9 switched on its spam filter about 6 months ago, spam dropped to practically zero. Then, about a month or so ago, it started to rise and I am now getting well over a hundred spam messages a day.

Exactly the same as me then.
I've only had 150ish today which is a good day.
Is ANY spam getting sent to your spam inbox Keith?

[#2]

I am also wondering about the effectiveness of the current anti-spam measures. The numbers slipping through seem to have increased. Surely emails that have "penis" in the subject line (like one I just received) cannot be too difficult to spot.

[#3]

It's not as simple as that. If the post you've just made had been sent by email a simplistic approach would have tagged it as spam - yet it was ham.
The spam filters need training with examples of wrongly identified emails to improve the accuracy - did you forward it?

[#4]

Quote from: jelv

The spam filters need training with examples of wrongly identified emails to improve the accuracy - did you forward it?

Because of the amount of SPAM I now use webmail mainly or Plus Net. I have been going into each individual mail and marking it as SPAM. I assume by doing this it is helping the system recognise them as SPAM. If not please tell me and I will stop wasting my time
David

[#5]

Richard_261
I'm still getting a lot of spam! Probably about 150 on a good day and well over 200 on a normal day.
Most are in blocks of about 6 identical ones, but it can be up to a block of 18 identical ones (as I had a couple of days ago!)
I delete them using Mailwasher, so keeping them off my harddrive.
Cheers
Keith

[#6]

Quote from: deekay

Richard_261 I'm still getting a lot of spam! Probably about 150 on a good day and well over 200 on a normal day. Most are in blocks of about 6 identical ones, but it can be up to a block of 18 identical ones (as I had a couple of days ago!) I delete them using Mailwasher, so keeping them off my harddrive. Cheers Keith

Hi
Same as me again.
I also use Mailwasher to get rid of them.
I was wondering if Squirrelmail is sending any of your spam at all to the spam folder, cos it doesn't seem to be with me, wheras a few weeks ago it had amassed literally THOUSANDS in my spam folder.

[#7]

After a good 6 months of no spam, suddenly I've started receiving a few each day all with very obvious subject titles, such as:
LolitaCockExtensive
JoannaBouffantPhallus
CarolCockExceptional

My settings are that spam is sent into my "Spam" folder on PlusNet's server, so it shouldn't ever reach my Inbox. If PlusNet's spam filter is any good (which is isn't at the moment) then surely emails with the words "Cock" and "Phallus" would be blocked.

[#8]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v377/keyuri-tails/spam.jpg
My never used Plusnet email account, which didn't start filling up until Plusnet got hacked. At 4/5 a day it shouldn't take long to break the 1000 mark. 

[#9]

I've noticed an increase in the past 2-3 months of unwanted SPAM that gets through, but is filtered out at the outlook level.
However for the past few months I've been using webmail for which you have to select all the SPAM and notify it is SPAM and then select it all again to delete/or move. WHY twice?
If its SPAM, delete it automatically - I've made a support request to that effect. Can't believe that nobody else would not want this also given the amount that gets through
Chip in for the option - more tat ask it might bubble to the top of the development list.

[#10]

An excellent suggestion on how to deal with reporting muliple emails without having to select them twice was made here

[#11]

I can count fourteen unique people contributing to this thread yet I notice that only two of you have registered an interested in the up and coming Postini anti-spam trial that's due to commence next week.
Any particular reason for this? I'd have thought those having problems with spam would have welcomed it with open arms?

[#12]

I would but it has to apply to all mailboxes and I wouldn't want the rest of the family involved.
If I could restrict it to one or two mailboxes I would be delighted to take part

[#13]

Quote from: Bob

I can count fourteen unique people contributing to this thread yet I notice that only two of you have registered an interested in the up and coming Postini anti-spam trial that's due to commence next week. Any particular reason for this? I'd have thought those having problems with spam would have welcomed it with open arms?

With respect I am sure many people will have reservations about tinkering with their email.
However I have opted-in if I am acceptable.

[#14]

Quote from: Bob

Any particular reason for this? [not volunteered for Postini trial]

I have great miss-givings about compulsory content filtering over which the recipient has no control.
(Its my understanding that some mail will be dropped at the edge without any option or advice)
Further we don't know how those content filtering decisions are made. I've visited the Postini site and am none the wiser.
Its clear that with 90% of internet mail being SPAM networks and inboxes need protection. I would suggest other things first such as technically identifiable AUP's to define email sources. (eg we don't accept connections from IPs defined by their owners as not being mail relays)
I'm not re-assured by a buisiness model that depends on there continuing to be SPAM.
I would also note that after 6 years with pretty good Bayesian filters SPAM volumes continue to rise both in absolute and proportionate terms. Keeping up with the increased processing power of the botnets needs alternative answers.

[#15]

just FYI - Plusnet have been blocking 'obvious spam' at the edge for years.  This generally includes mails from email addresses that do not have DNS entries so return mail could never be delivered.
There are a small percentage of mails that are 100 percent spam'.  These are the mails that are blocked at the edge.  Everything else is passed through the filters and dealt with according to your preferences.
B.