More spam :-( Was Re: [Mailman-Users] Would you like to receive information on registering your pet online for free?

[Barry A. Warsaw]

>>>>> "JCL" == J C Lawrence <claw at kanga.nu> writes:

    JCL> There is a logn standing tradition for support lists for
    JCL> products to not be closed to non-subscribers.

There are a couple of issues to consider, some technical, some not.

First, I think there /is/ a use for open-posting lists like
mailman-users which do not limit postings just from members.  This is
a policy decision and if I change it, then I know we will lose newbies
because of the overhead.  I definitely don't want to lose guys like
Chuq from this list, but there's a trade-off and I figure Chuq knows
how to filter out the spam on his end (or just ignore it).  Limiting
posts to members /might/ make sense for mailman-developers though.

Second, while Mailman does spam detection, spammers have mutated and
are making their way around the defenses.  Easy stuff like catching
Bcc:'s and the like, we already do.  How do we improve the spam
detection in Mailman next?  (this is not a question mailman-users need
discuss -- take it to mailman-developers please!).

Third, there are certain spam filters that the MTA can apply that
should catch more stuff.  I thought that the Exim installation on
{python,zope}.org was all hooked up to RBL, etc., but since spam is
getting through, it may not be working.  I'm hoping Ethan, our MTA
administrator can give more information here.

>>>>> "DM" == Dan Mick <dan.mick at west.sun.com> writes:

    DM> I'd estimate I get one spam every three weeks from
    DM> mailman-users.  I must get one every two minutes from
    DM> everywhere else.

I'm also in approximately the same category (lots more spam from
elsewhere than mailing lists).  It's annoying but I just hit `d' and
ignore it.  That's not to say we can't or shouldn't improve the
situation on both the MTA and MLM sides.  But keeping mailman-users
open for posting from all is still the right decision I believe.

-Barry