Interview With The SpamAssassin

comforteagle writes "Howard Wen has conducted an interview with Daniel Quinlan of SpamAssassin. In it he explores what keeps Daniel motivated in the face of the unrelenting torrent of spam and new spamming techniques, as well as, what is working - what is not, and what he predicts spammers have up their sleeves next for defeating spam detection." From the interview: "If you don't mind deleting spam manually, that's your prerogative, but don't complain about it. If your ISP doesn't do a good job fighting spam, then switch ISPs or install your own anti-spam software. There are a lot of choices out there."

you'ved been spammed!

[dmf415]

v1agr@ r0g@1n3

Who has noticed a decrease in the effectiveness of Spam Assasin. I have! Anyone else?

Business cards

[nizo]

I bet he has cool business cards:
Daniel Quinlan - Spam Assassin
He can tell people his job is to kill spammers. Which reminds me, I wonder if anyone at the IRS actually checks what job title you put on your tax forms?

I don't know what the problem is.

[defore]

When I get spam I don't want I just unsubscribe from it. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT WILL TAKE 72 HOURS TO REMOVE MY ADDRESS?"

Re:Business cards

[LetterJ]

"I wonder if anyone at the IRS actually checks what job title you put on your tax forms? "

This is the federal government. It's probably someone's exclusive job to not only read it, but hand copy it in blue ink into large 3 ring binders which are then manually typed in by someone else employed full-time to do such an activity.

Re:Business cards

[Anonymous Coward]

So I guess putting "Senior Tax Evader" as my occupation probably wasn't such a good idea?

Re:SURBL

[joranbelar]

Interesting - the whole "copy and remove space" idea is something you see all over the place as an anti-harvesting technique for email addresses (like slashdot employs). Now spammers themselves are using anti-spam measures from within their spam to combat spam filters....

ow. My brain is starting to hurt.

Re:There is a whitelist

[snorklewacker]

"Not spam" does not whitelist senders. It moves messages. Maybe I'm missing something.

I really should have just posted AC, having gotten three replies that went:

1) google radiates golden benefince, you suck for criticizing them

2) see that "not spam" button? the shiny one? don't lick it, click it! good boy!

3) Use another email client, you're not firewalled or anything, and you configure this client everywhere you go, right? Aren't I clever for knowing about its existence?

My blood pressure really cannot stand slashdot these days.

Re:you'ved been spammed!

[RockClimb]

Who has noticed a decrease in the effectiveness of Spam Assasin. I have! Anyone else?

I have been running Spamassassin for over a year now and have not noticed any real change. 1 or 2 spams get through (out of about 500) every 1 to 2 days. I should add that I also use spamcop, razor, bays, server blocks, and in the begining I wrote many of my own rules. If anything, Spamassassin is getting better because the inbound spam level goes up, but the amount in my inbox stays the same. These results will vary from person to person based on the spam lists you are on. If you need to take viagra, need breast/penis enlargment, can't find your Rolex, need meds or a loan, need to loose weight, want to gamble online, want to see women do everything under the sun, etc., etc., your results might be different :)

Re:Business cards

[BenEnglishAtHome]

This comes up most often for drug dealers. If you report a lot of self employment income and list your job is drug dealer, they cannot get you on the easier charge to prove: tax evasion.

The last time this came up with an officer I personally know (I wasn't directly involved with the case) the drug dealer under indictment for distribution decided to stave off the tax charges by filing a John Doe return. His attorney showed up at the office with a completed tax return and, I kid you not, a briefcase full of money.

It was only a partially successful ploy. The tax charges were avoided, but the drug-sniffing dogs went bonkers on the briefcase. Man, was that lawyer pissed that his client had given him such a contaminated pile of bills.