What does spamtrap(_dot_)ietf(_at_)dja(_dot_)mailme(_dot_)org mean? It is a
spamtrap that should
be removed? Or is it simply the address they use to figure out of the
ietf list is being culled for spam?
More inline.
On Tue, 10 Feb 2004, David Berman wrote:
Subject lines for emails should be required to have only words that can
be found in the dictionary. This eliminates any spam like vi(_at_)gr@ or
m0rtgage.
And what dictionary would that be? Italian? French? English? The 60-100
other languages? In what character set? What about slang? What about
abbreviations? What about made up code words like those names that lovers
create for for each other, like "Hi, Nookums"? The list goes on, and can
get sillier. What about word tenses? Mispeling? Regional dialects?
Medical terms, new words like "bling-bling". etc. Simple dictionary
analysis is hard, and while it might be one clue, it isn't something that
can simply be required.
I don't mean to say that text analysis should be ignored, just the
contrary, in fact. I think there is useful work in the direction of text
summarization, and agents that summarize and identify what you might be
interested in. I think there is also useful work in identifying things
that you are not interested in, as well as other factors like bulkiness,
etc.
Automated text analysis will never be perfect, because even human text
analysis for interest/disinterest (secretaries) aren't perfect. But it
can help sort things. I hand filter about 1500 messages a day. I get
about 3500 over the weekend. Monday's filtering doesn't take me any longer
than tuesdays filtering.
The real problem isn't from companies who send bulk email and allow you
to opt out. The problem comes from people that are trying not to let
you opt out. Not only don't they let you opt out, but they also try to
get around your filters.
I agree.
--Dean