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diff --git a/libc/msdos/xxx/mailfilter.html b/libc/msdos/xxx/mailfilter.html deleted file mode 100644 index 035c26e..0000000 --- a/libc/msdos/xxx/mailfilter.html +++ /dev/null @@ -1,153 +0,0 @@ -<!-- X-URL: http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/~wirzeniu/mailfilter.html --> -<BASE HREF="http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/~wirzeniu/mailfilter.html"> - -<html> -<head> -<title>Lasu's mail filters</title> -</head> -<body> - -<strong>Note: I've updated this page a little bit, but it still describes -the previous version of the filter. The new filter is quite similar to -the old one, but has easier configurability, and is (by default) rather -less aggressive.</strong> - -<h1>Lasu's mail filters</h1> - -<p>This page explains how I use procmail to filter -my mail. Perhaps the most interesting part is how I reject mail from -strangers in order to avoid getting spammed. This is not an introduction -to spam or why it's bad, or to procmail or mail filtering; see links at -end for some suggestions, but I do assume you're able to implement the -filtering on your own. - -<h2>The approach</h2> - -<p>My filtering approach is like this: -<ol> -<li> If the sender is on the blacklist, delete the letter. -<li> Put mailing lists in their own folders. <em>This must be done - correctly!</em> Otherwise the mailing list mail is treated as - junk e-mail. -<li> Put local administrative e-mail in its own folder. I administrate my - own Linux - box. This catches mail from system crontabs, news log summaries, - and so on. (Maybe not relevant to you.) -<li> At this point, it should be personal mail. Check that the To or Cc - headers address me. If not, delete the mail. -<li> Put bounce messages in their own mailbox. -<li> If the sender is on my whitelist: - <ol> - <li> If I'm on vacation, send back automatic response. - <li> Put the letter in inbox. - </ol> -<li> If the subject includes password, put in special folder for - unknown people. -<li> Otherwise, autoreply with request to use password and delete the mail. -</ol> - -<p>Instead of deleting the unwanted mail, it is also possible to just store -it in a special folder. You should do this while testing the setup, so that -you don't lose any important mail due to errors. It's best to use separate -folders for each case; I have folders no-password and new-OTHER, but feel -free to use other names. - -<p>When using this scheme, it is imperative to put all addresses you send -mail to on your whitelist or else to put the password in the subject. -Otherwise, you will annoy people. I have an automatic setup for the -MH mailer. - -<h2>Problems</h2> - -<p>My approach has some problems: -<ul> -<li> If someone sends you mail using the Bcc header, it will be treated as - junk, since your address won't be visible in the To or Cc headers. - The Bcc header is removed before the mail is sent, so there is - no way to distinguish interesting Bcc'd messages and junk mail. - This is not really a problem for me, because I almost never get - Bcc'd mail, and when I do it is via one specific mailing list. -<li> Subscribing to mailing lists. You can't filter away the list until - you know what the headers look like, so you have to turn off - the check for personal mail until you can get the list filtering - to work. (The new version of the filter attempts to put stuff from - unknown mailing lists to a separate folder, but better safe than - sorry.) -<li> Spam sent to mailing lists won't be filtered away. This is not too big - a problem, because many mailing lists - now only allow subscribers to post to avoid spam. -<li> Not all bounce messages are filtered correctly. Unfortunately, there - are about as many bounce message formats as there are mail - transport programs. This is a real problem, because it's not - really a good idea to not lose bounce messages. It also opens - a glaring hole, because spammers can make their junk look like - bounce messaages. -<li> If the filter starts acting up, you'd better know Procmail, or be - prepared to drop it at once. -</ul> - -<h2>Alternative methods</h2> - -<p>Many ways to fight junk mail have been proposed. Below is a list of -a few of them and the reasons why I don't do that. - -<ul> - -<li><strong>Just delete them.</strong> -This is what I've been doing. It takes time to read enough of a letter - to positively identify it as junk. Not a whole lot of time, but - doing something unproductive several times a day is not fun. - It is annoying and lowers my work morale. I do computers because - it's fun, and junkmail makes it not fun. - -<li><strong>Complain to sender or in public.</strong> -This takes time. I don't want to spend time on dealing with junk. -Using tools to automate most of the complaint process is not good -enough, since no tool is able to decode forged headers completely, -and sending the complaints to the wrong address is <em>wrong</em>. - -<li><strong>Just filter away known baddies.</strong> -I won't know who they are, unless I get the mail, and by then it's too - late. Actually, I could read suitable newsgroups and mailing lists - and find reports of spammers, but again, it takes time I don't want - to spend. It also never ends, since the most persistent spammers - change accounts often, and there are hordes of new spammers on - the horizon. - -<li><strong>Use a service that removes your address from spammers' lists.</strong> -Which one? How do I know they're reputable? What guarantee do I have that - the spammers use the services? Also, many of them have - been shown to be just another way to harvest e-mail addresses. - -<li><strong>Use a munged mail address in public.</strong> -This causes postmasters (the people who keep the mail systems running) -extra work. Not polite, and counter-productive on the long run. - -</ul> - -<h2>Related links</h2> -<ul> -<li> <a href="mailfilter2.tar.gz">My mail filter</a>. -<li> <a href="mailfilter-mh.html">My MH setup to automatically put addresses - I send to to the whitelist.</a> -<li> <a href="ftp://ftp.informatik.rwth-aachen.de/pub/packages/procmail/procmail.tar.gz">Procmail source code</a>, - if you system doesn't have procmail installed. -<li> <a href="http://www.jazzie.com/ii/faqs/archive/mail/filtering-faq/">Mail Filtering FAQ</a>, - for more information about mail filtering in general. -</ul> - -<h2>Feedback</h2> - -<p>I'd be glad to hear any suggestions on how this filtering scheme -can be improved. Don't hesitate to tell me if you have ideas on solving -the above problems or if you can think of a new problem. I'd also be -grateful if tell me if you use this filtering scheme so that I can tell -you about important updates. I'd also like to hear of alternative filtering -schemes, especially for people using non-Unix systems. Follow the link -at the bottom before mailing, so you'll know how to avoid my filtering. - -<p>(22 September 1997, -<a href="mail-to-lasu.html">Lars Wirzenius</a>) - -</body> -</html> |