Re: [cobalt-users] Qube 3 - How to stop spam?

[David Lucas <david@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 01:30 AM 11/14/2001, you wrote:
> On this same subject: I've been stripping whatever information I can from 
> incoming spam and then adding the information to the reject list in the 
> control panel. The list is getting rather long. Does this cause a 
> significant hit on performance on the mail server? How many entries are 
> "too many entries"
>
> It's often hard to tell exactly where the mail comes from. Some have two 
> recived from headers.
>
> It does seem to have significantly slowed the receipt of unwanted mail and 
> I am trying to be careful to not add blanket entries like hotmail.com and such.
>
> Lately it seems that other than my mailing list stuff, spam has become 
> about 80% of my mail.
>
> Semi OT: Do these spammers actually get results from this crap? I wonder 
> who is buying the services.
>
> I suppose someone who just opens up a new site and sees the "Gazzillion 
> email addresses bargain prices" spams have a light bulb go off and 
> figure... "hey.. this would work" are the source of a lot of it?
>
> WS

I gave up adding addresses to the rejected list for the most part.  I use 
Eudora for my email and have set up a number of filters.  Some of those 
filters send email with certain subject lines or other criteria straight to 
my trash can.  I don't see it, I don't worry about it.  Spam does not get a 
real large response, up to about 5%, but if you sent out 10,000,000 emails 
and sold something for $10 you would end up with $5,000,000 in sales in 
return with that 5%.  Is it worth it, yes and no.  Many people will 
complain as people on this list have done and actually had other members 
knocked off their own isp's.  Thus I am sure you have seen many emails of 
people willing to do an email for you.  They have servers in other 
countries with isp's that will not turn them off.  They suggest that you 
use a new yahoo.com address for each mailing.  This email will probably be 
turned off within hours.  They will use an autoresponder at yahoo.com to 
send you the actual web site address if you reply.  Sending a reply to take 
you off, probably will not get anywhere, especially if the address is 
turned off within a few hours.  It may also go to confirm that you have a 
valid address.  Due to the number of lists I am on, I can not say I get a 
real large portion of spam based on the amount of email I do receive.  As I 
send a number directly to the trash, I am not sure.  I have an old email 
address that I still check and it is over 50% spam.  Much of it I am not 
even listed on the to list.  I used Eudora to filter email to address1 into 
one folder and mail to address2 into a second folder, the rest (not 
addressed to me) goes to the in box.  Thus basically any mail in the in box 
is not really mine.  Every now and then I am copied by friend and that 
email will be in the in box as well, thus you can't count all mail that 
would be there as junk, but most.  I would not suggest that you spend too 
much time setting up rejects, but maybe use procmail and some filters in 
your email program.  I think you will be much more successful.