X-Message-Number: 23901
Date: Fri, 16 Apr 2004 04:34:32 -0400
From: "Kevin Q. Brown" <>
Subject: CryoNet Spam Filtering

Anyone can subscribe to CryoNet, for free, and post messages
that are included in the digests that all subscribers receive.
It is easy for someone to abuse this privilege by repeatedly
posting messages that have no relationship to cryonics or
the interests of cryonicists.  Over the past fifteen years,
such people eventually have tired and quit abusing the list.
Giving people a _lot_ of slack generally has been the
low-cost, and perhaps optimal, solution for list management.
But now we have a recalcitrant, and perhaps incorrigible,
abuser who has not responded to repeated complaints.

We have a spammer on the list.

CryoNet already filters out almost all spam by requiring
postings to originate from people subscribed to the list.
But it has few mechanisms to protect it from spammers who
subscribe.  Messages that pass contraints on message length,
message format (plain text, not HTML or base64 encoded),
number of postings per subscriber per digest, etc. are
included in the digests that go to everyone on the
distribution list.

CryoNet soon will have improved spam filtering.

As for messages that exceed the maximum length, or maximum
number of postings per day, this new spam filter will retain
the messages in the archives, but will not include them in
the digests.  CryoNet readers thus still will be able to
retrieve the messages that triggered the spam filter, but
they no longer will be forced to receive them in the digests.

     Kevin Q. Brown
     

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