[Spambayes] WHICH? Magazine PRE-PUBLICATION CHECK: Anti-virus software

[Mike Causer]

I don't recollect seeing the published report mentioned, so while in the
library today I checked the archives of "Computing Which?" magazine.

In the January 2005 edition they test free firewalls, virus and spam
filters, including Spambayes.  Unfortunately you have to look quite
carefully to find Spambayes because it is called "Outlook addin" (sic)
throughout.   

Spambayes is shown as POP3 capable, but "POP3 support is with MS
Outlook only".

The summary says ".... and Outlook addin, on the other hand, showed very
little ability to inprove spam detection with experience"  (!)

However -- "Ideally a spam filter should automatically update (to get
new lists of known spam and spam characteristics), clean your existing
email upon installation, classify existing emails (as `spam' or `not
spam' rather than `maybe spam') and integrate well with your chosen
email program."


I do wonder what they thought they were testing, and whether they'd
bothered to read any of the documentation?  Probably not, because their
target market is the more clue-resistant sector of the public.  And after
skimming through the rest of the magazine I'd put Computing Which? at
the more clue-resistant end of the publishing spectrum too.



Mike
-- 
Mike Causer                          Email - mailto:mikec at mikecauser.com
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