List spam

Ghodmode ghodmode at ghodmode.com
Thu Aug 18 10:37:37 EDT 2011


On Thu, Aug 18, 2011 at 9:39 PM, Philip Semanchuk <philip at semanchuk.com> wrote:
>
> On Aug 18, 2011, at 8:58 AM, Jason Staudenmayer wrote:
>
>> I really like this list as part of my learning tools but the amount of spam that I've been getting from it is CRAZY. Doesn't anything get scanned before it sent to the list?
>
> This has been discussed on the list a number of times before, so I'll refer you to the archives for details.
>
> Basically, the mailing list receives postings from Google Groups and vice versa. Most of the spam comes from Google Groups. If you add a mail filter that deletes anything with the "Organization" header set to "http://groups.google.com", you won't see much spam anymore. In my experience, you'll also miss a number of legitimate postings.

You are absolutely right, it has been brought up before.  But I'm glad
it's been brought up again.  It's such a problem that it degrades the
usefulness of the list and the community.

Most of the mailing lists I'm on are managed using Google Groups and
many of them are on mailman, like this list.  I don't see spam on
them, so I don't know what's going on here.

It's not really filtering at all.  Most lists only allow members to
post and the admins are quick to boot offenders.

For the most part, I'm just a lurker, so my suggestion shouldn't carry
as much weight, but here it is anyway...

Make an effort to curb the spam even if it means killing the newsgroup
availability.  Choose mailman or Google Groups, or another single
solution.  Make it members only, but allow anyone to register with an
automated confirmation email and a CAPTCHA.  Appoint a list admin who
has a few minutes each day to scan subjects of emails for spammers and
remove them from the members list.

... problem solved.

Yes.  I'm saying we should abandon those who only follow the list via
newsgroups.
Yes.  I'm willing to do the work, but I'm not the right choice.


> HTH
> Philip

--
Ghodmode
http://www.ghodmode.com/blog



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