From: Matt Armstrong <matt@...>
Date: 2002-03-09T03:23:01+09:00
Subject: Re: Spam, ruby-talk, and me

Dave Thomas <Dave@PragmaticProgrammer.com> writes:

> I can't reliably differentiate spam from other messages, so if I run
> the gateway, spam will leak through to the mailing list. If people
> feel like this is an affront, and will report this in future to spam
> copy, please let me know _now_ and I'll take the gateway down today.

Dave, you provide this great service and seem to get screwed by the
SPAM police periodically.  Last time it was somebody complaining about
spam on Usenet that originated from the mailing list.  Sigh.

Some people run all their mail through filters that attempt to catch
and report SPAM even when posted to mailing lists.  So I doubt you can
have any kinds of assurances that this won't happen again.  This
report may even have been generated automatically by such a filter.

What you may be able to do is make the origin of the mail more
obvious.  Maybe stick a big fat Received: line at the beginning of
each news message before sending it off to the mailing list.

Received: from Usenet via a Usenet to mail gateway located at
        dave's-ip-address.  This service provided as a courtesy to the
        ruby-talk mailing list.  If this message is SPAM, its ultimate
        origin is Usenet, not this gateway program.  All subscribers
        to the ruby-talk mailing list agree to receive the Usenet
        postings made to comp.lang.ruby via this gateway.  Please see
        http://www.ruby-lang.com/ruby-talk-usenet-policy.html.
X-From-Usenet: see Received: header above.

Experienced SPAM fighters would think twice about reporting you if
they see that, and your ISP might get a clue and call you before
turning off your service.

-- 
matt