[LINK] Legit messages adopting anti-spam techniques

Tue Feb 17 12:05:25 EST 2004

Richard wrote:

What I am noticing is that even solicited senders must be bumping their
heads against anti-spam software. There's a couple of senders who are
starting to insert the same sort of gibberish strings in messages as are
used by the Viagra ads, etc.

My email to Link (25/11/2002 ) mentioned similar techniques used by an
email newsletter author:

   Spam filters =  censorship by default?

   25/11/2002 11:51 AM
   Reading recent editions of the excellent Research Buzz newsletter, eg. <
   http://www.researchbuzz.com/news/2002/nov14nov2002.shtml> and seeing how
   author Tara Calishain has been forced to censor her words because of her
   list's recipient's spam filter software, eg "now the N*tional Library of
   Scotland (name slightly altered as the first word apparently trips sp*m
   filters) " it seems to me that this trend will either see us:
   a) invent a constantly evolving series of synonyms to keep ahead of the
   filters or,
   b) like Tara, resort to  Pig Latin  "Words that might get ResearchBuzz
   filtered by an overzealous filter will be written in Pig Latin from now
   on. eefray! ooway! owzayay!) ..."     <
   http://www.researchbuzz.com/news/2002/sep12sep1802.shtml>
   c) be forced to develop even more obscure jargon-ridden communication
   than ever.

   Do any Linkers have reason to believe that one day we'll be able to
   avoid self-censorship of this type?  Can Spam filters one day become
   redundant? Will "white" and "black" listing of addresses work? Will
   software Agents ever be able to cope with sophistication needed to parse
   our confusing language?

Regards

Jeff Evans
Manager, Business Channel
Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development
Victoria, Australia
Ph 03 9651 9590 Fax 03 9651 9725
Email jeff.evans at iird.vic.gov.au
http://www.business.channel.vic.gov.au
http://www.businessaccess.vic.gov.au
http://www.export.vic.gov.au
http://www.ecommerce.vic.gov.au

                    "Chirgwin, Richard"                                                                                      
                    <Richard.Chirgwin at infor       To:     "'link at anu.edu.au'" <link at anu.edu.au>                              
                    ma.com.au>                    cc:                                                                        
                    Sent by:                      Fax to:                                                                    
                    link-bounces at anu.edu.au       Subject:     [LINK] Legit messages adopting anti-spam techniques           

                    17/02/2004 10:48 AM                                                                                      

Linkers,

I get quite a few notices from various outfits which would count as spam
except that in my case, they're solicited: news releases, research reports
and the like [digression: DEAR SIR FROM SIERRA LEONE hasn't got a chance in
my inbox, I'm easily topping 150 non-spam messages a day. Some days I just
junk the inbox in its entirity; if it's urgent they'll try again].

What I am noticing is that even solicited senders must be bumping their
heads against anti-spam software. There's a couple of senders who are
starting to insert the same sort of gibberish strings in messages as are
used by the Viagra ads, etc.

If they're trying the same sort of "unique message ID to measure response"
techniques as spammers use, it's dumb because I'm likely to hit the delete
key as a response to the gibberish string... it's a strange development.

RC

BTW: I've seen a lot of discussion about filters at the individual level on
Link. But companies tend to buy stuff like spam filters from the vendors
because they already know the sales rep. As a result, when we got a notice
yesterday that we were ending our spam filter trial, I had to break the bad
news to the IT manager that I hadn't noticed we'd ever started! I'm forming
a worse and worse opinion of CA e-mail security products, I still get
MyDoom
messages and the spam load is still kicking along...
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