Re: [Savannah-hackers] How to fight spam on GNU mailing lists

[nferrier]

Milan Zamazal <address@hidden> writes:

> So I propose to set up or implement a system similar to the one I use 
> with GNU GNATS for all the gnu.org mailing lists that *wish* to join it. 
> I think that: 
>  
> - A single moderator could kill with a single action spams coming to all 
>   the participating mailing lists.  Also a cooperative model should be 
>   considered -- if I kill a spam in the GNU GNATS moderation queue, then 
>   it gets killed in all participating mailing list queues. 
>  
> - Since spams typically terribly cross-post, they can be identified 
>   better by a sharing system.  If a message *looking like a spam* comes 
>   to many gnu.org mailing list queues in a certain time interval, then 
>   it will be queued for global moderation, otherwise it will be passed 
>   to local moderation.  Thus the global moderator mostly kills spam, 
>   while the particular mailing list moderators mostly pass legitimate 
>   messages. 
>  
> - If something is killed as spam somewhere, it will be killed as such 
>   automatically if it arrives later to another mailing lists, based on a 
>   check sum or message id. 
>  
> - We need a way to remove spam messages, that are not delayed by the 
>   filter and later killed by moderators, from mailing list archives. 
>   There is currently no such manageable possibility. 
>  
> I'm aware that at least one cooperative antispam system exists as a free 
> software, but I don't know any details.  Maybe something existent can be 
> used, maybe a new system would have to be implemented. 
>  
> Please note I am unable to participate in a particular set up or 
> implementation work, I can help only in a limited way.  I hope my 
> message is constructive enough otherwise, so you'll forgive me that. 
> People seem to be annoyed by spam on gnu.org mailing lists enough to 
> volunteer in this area, *once we agree on a proper solution*. 

I administer 10 GNU mailing lists and they all recieve significant
spam hits.

Personally, what I would like is a mail front end to the
administration system for mailman. I'd like to discard posts to my
lists by simply sending mailman an approve/discard reply to the
message it sends me about possible spam.

I'd write such a tool myself but I don't have a lot of free time right
now.



I have noticed one thing: when one recieves a spam on a list one
usually recieves more from the same address over the period of a
couple of days.

The most sensible thing to do therefore would be to black list the spammer
address from GNU incomming mail servers for a week or so (if one does
it forever the banned addresses list would grow enormously). If we had
a quick way of banning an address for all incomming mail that would be
cool.


Nic Ferrier