** Reply to message from Richard Ball rgball@ellerbach.com on Sat, 08 Jan 2005 09:26:41 -0500
On 1/8/05 3:37, Stan Goodman wrote: ...
Is it a way to filter incoming messages (from subscribers) from the increasing amount of spam messages? I would be very interested in such a script.
My list is moderated, so none of the incoming crap ever gets distributed, but it is an annoying PITA to even see it.
Stan,
I ran several lists (using smartlist) on servers over which I had no control for a number of years and had zero real spam on the lists without even having to have them moderated (so I never saw it either)
I too was untroubled until about a year ago. The difference now is that I get bombarded with crap from non-subscribers sending me HTML and attachements with apparent viruses.
The key was simply to be strict about what was acceptable:
no html no attachments
I do not allow either HTML or attachments (which usually appear to be viruses).
reasonable size limitations
Junk/spam doesn't seem to be in enormous messages, and I don't see responses from the list that an incoming message was too long. The rejection messages that I do see are for HTML and attachments. I get a copy of the rejection, of course; another copy is sent to the sender, who doesn't exist, so I get a bounce message from the ISP whose domain he is using. I would like to throttle the sons of bitches.
only subscribers allowed to post
I allow posts only from subscribers. What I would REALLY like is to prevent rejection messages to non-subscribers, and for the test for such incoming mail to precede the tests for HTML and attachments. That would make life bearable all by itself.
no automatic subscription (either a confirm package or by-invitation-only)
I am the only one on the planet that can subscribe anybody. Anybody can unsubscribe without help from me, although few bother, e.g. when they change ISPs.
plus a few simple tests to catch the occasional virus-generated spoof.
I don't think I need anything like that, if I can block incoming messages from non-subscribers without generating a rejection notice to the offender.