Re: Why spam is a problem.

[Keith Moore <moore at cs.utk.edu>]

> > > Extending the TCPA to include unsolicited commercial mail is our best
> > > collective hope at slowing down spam in the short term,
> >
> > yeah, like it's really going to stop the spam coming from Korea.
>
> I stop that by blocking anything coming in with a Korean character
> set. That and the thing blocking anything with a Chinese character set
> stop a huge number of hits a day. I'm not concerned, actually, about
> the garbage I can automatically eliminate. What concerns me is the
> fraction that I can't, like the "Giant Discount!" spam that just made
> it past my filters.

it's easy to build a filter that will remove 99% of what is spam to *me* -
just get rid of anything that is not written in English, or that contains
any Java or Javascript, or any Microsoft- or Apple-specific file format,
or that doesn't have a valid return address.  basically I'd be rejecting
things that I either couldn't  read or couldn't reply to anyway.

it's much more difficult to filter spam in general.  one person's spam
might be another person's life-changing investment opportunity...

Keith