[OT] digest vs. mail filtering (was Re: Dying VaxStation 4000 VLC - help?)

From: Alexander Schreiber <als_at_thangorodrim.de>
Date: Sun Nov 17 15:28:00 2002

On Fri, Nov 15, 2002 at 03:20:49PM -0600, Jeffrey Sharp wrote:
> On Friday, November 15, 2002, Eric Smith wrote:
> > On Linux (and Unix), procmail is commonly used for filtering, and is quite
> > flexible
>
> Procmail + formail = excellent. I used them to build a system that makes
> unknown senders go through a confirmation process. There are other packages
> out there to do this, but a procmail solution was the easiest to implement
> for me. It's basically a way to rid myself of spam forever.

How does the confirmation process work? Sending unknown senders an email
to identify themself als "human beings with a legitimate reason to send
you email" or do you confirm them by hand? How do you identify the
sender? Checking From: won't work, this headerline has been faked since
the invention of SMTP. You might take a look at spamfilters employing
bayesian (sp?) filters, they seem to work surprisingly well.

> The last thing I want is to be digging through the backup file and find
> something important that was not delivered.

Thats why my simple .procmail rules for catching (some) spam _never_
drop mail altogether, but deliver into a dedicated folder, appropriately
named "SPAM" which gets checks (just From: and Subject: lines) by hand
once a week.

Regards,
      Alex.
-- 
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and
 looks like work."                                      -- Thomas A. Edison
Received on Sun Nov 17 2002 - 15:28:00 GMT

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