At 02:43 AM 8/10/97 +0200, Eric Thomas wrote:
>Anyway,  the spam  detector  is  not designed  to  do pattern  filtering.
>Pattern filtering is  explicitly something we did not want  to have, both
>because it  is easy  to program  around for the  spammers and  because it
>raises legal  issues along  the lines  of the  Prodigy lawsuit.  The spam

Agreed.  Besides, the user can do many kinds of pattern filtering on
his/her own end, either on a box that is handling the mail, or in the
client, as many of us do routinely.

>detector  rejects  messages that  have  been  massively cross-posted.  By
>definition these  messages are out of  topic in the vast  majority of the
>target lists. No judgment is made on the contents of the messages, merely

And this is what is so wonderful.  I run a bunch of lists related to
libraries, and from time to time some bozo at West Armpit State College
will decide to advertise a position they have vacant.  Since NO ONE wants
to go to West Armpit (and only partly because their pay is very low), this
bozo decides to send his job announcement to the over 100 library related
lists around the world.  And, most of them aren't even related to the job
he's offering.  And, most lists for libraries run on LISTSERV(R).
Therefore, his postings get filtered from my lists and I do NOT approve
them.  I figure if the guy is that dumb, he deserves to not have them
posted.  If he can't figure out how NOT to spam with his ads, I'm sure not
going to help him.  Terminally stupid folks.

Thanks, Eric.  As always, you've got it right on.  In eight years doing
this I've yet to find a significant feature you've not added, usually just
before I knew I wanted it.

cheers

dan

Dan Lester
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In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.  Erasmus, 1534