What does spamtrap.ietf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx mean? It is a spamtrap that should be removed? Or is it simply the address they use to figure out of the ietf list is being culled for spam? More inline. On Tue, 10 Feb 2004, David Berman wrote: > Subject lines for emails should be required to have only words that can > be found in the dictionary. This eliminates any spam like vi@gr@ or > m0rtgage. And what dictionary would that be? Italian? French? English? The 60-100 other languages? In what character set? What about slang? What about abbreviations? What about made up code words like those names that lovers create for for each other, like "Hi, Nookums"? The list goes on, and can get sillier. What about word tenses? Mispeling? Regional dialects? Medical terms, new words like "bling-bling". etc. Simple dictionary analysis is hard, and while it might be one clue, it isn't something that can simply be required. I don't mean to say that text analysis should be ignored, just the contrary, in fact. I think there is useful work in the direction of text summarization, and agents that summarize and identify what you might be interested in. I think there is also useful work in identifying things that you are not interested in, as well as other factors like bulkiness, etc. Automated text analysis will never be perfect, because even human text analysis for interest/disinterest (secretaries) aren't perfect. But it can help sort things. I hand filter about 1500 messages a day. I get about 3500 over the weekend. Monday's filtering doesn't take me any longer than tuesdays filtering. > The real problem isn't from companies who send bulk email and allow you > to opt out. The problem comes from people that are trying not to let > you opt out. Not only don't they let you opt out, but they also try to > get around your filters. I agree. --Dean