SPAM Control

October 6, 2007

Howdy .. other good folks ..

I'm sure I'm not giving you any new information and I don't consider my post

as being enlightening .. but I do want to try to help.

I'm not very active on this News Group but I do monitor it and like everyone

else I've noticed an increase in SPAM .. these SPAMMERS target all the News

Groups. I am a Moderator on Oils & Herbs and we have been successful

at stopping SPAM from hitting the list .. but it takes a fair amount

of effort. We have a half dozen moderators .. in the USA and in the UK

... so one or us will be checking posts that are On Hold at any given time.

Oils & Herbs has over 1,600 members so we get a lot of posts. ALL new

members go on a Moderated status until we believe that they should be

removed .. some members remain on Moderation for many years because they are

not active so we have no basis for determining whether or not they are

legitimate. But they don't cause work for us because they are not

active. Some long time members are placed on Moderation from time to time

because .. well .. they deserve to be Moderated. This is really the only

effective way to control SPAM because many SPAMMERS change their e-mail

address periodically.

The SPAMMERS have no shame but they are not stupid. I have read articles

that claim these folks have automated systems that can send out literally

thousands of SPAM notices in less than a minute .. and then log off/out so

they can't be tracked. Though perhaps 99.9% of the folks who see a SPAM

notice will delete it .. the other .1% might not .. and that is enough hits

and buys to allow some of the professional SPAMMERS to make tens of

thousands of dollars in just one week .. so their incentive to continue is

encouraged by their proven success.

Controlling SPAM on a News Groups is a lot like controlling houseflies when

one is making a cake .. you gotta either tolerate a fly or three in the

batter .. or you gotta take the time to put up screens. The method I

described above is a form of screening that takes time .. but its effective.

Y'all have a good weekend .,. and keep smiling. :-)

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