[thelist] 95% of all spam caught by 1 simple filter (a.k.a. message rule in Outlook Express).

[George Dillon]

I've just stumbled across a very simple way of filtering out 95% of spam.
I'm sure the idea isn't new, though I don't think I've seen it discussed or
tipped on this list, so I wondered if anyone had any experience of, or
comments about, using this method.

Up to now I've laboriously created numerous filters (a.k.a. message rules in
Outlook Express) to identify and EXCLUDE spam, either by sender (e.g. Where
the From line contains '@email-prom.net') or by message content (e.g. Where
the Subject line contains 'mortgage rates').

However it kept on coming (especially the Lender's network crap) - the
spam seeming to mutate as fast as virii.

Then I twigged that the vast majority of the spam I receive is not actually
addressed to me.  Much of it is addressed to '@myISP.com' and/or relayed to
me via 'xyz&*$£@hotmail.com' (for example).

So with a little effort I created a single filter to catch ALL this
impersonalised spam, basically by assuming that EVERYTHING IS SPAM and
identifying and allowing what is Kosher.  It goes something like this:

Where the From line does not contain 'me at myISP.com' or '@anyofmydomains.com'
or 'NAMED SENDERS'
&
Where the To line does not contain 'me at myISP.com' or '@anyofmydomains.com'
or 'NAMED SUBSCRIPTIONS e.g. SARC or thelist at lists.evolt.org'
&
Where the CC line does not contain [DITTO the To line]
>
TREAT IT AS SPAM (e.g.. 'Delete from server' or, for now, just 'Move it to
the Spam folder' to be safe)

Not only does this filter catch unsolicited spam, but it also catches all
those annoying update notices to which I have unwittingly subscribed, such
as Real-anything, Computer-Arts etc. etc.

The only down-side I anticipate is that new subscriptions will be caught by
this filter if they are addressed to anything other than my subscriber email
address... so the filter will have to be disabled for a short period after
subscribing to anything new to let the first message come through so it can
be checked and the filter can be adjusted if necessary to allow further
messages to pass.

Comments?

George Dillon

P.S. Digested, please CC replies to evoltspam at georgedillon.com <g>