Re: mailing list moderation

On 12 Mar 2006, at 21:56, Josh wrote:

>> A good spam filter, the way I suggested, is better (see below).
>
> That works for us subscribers, but it leaves the help-flex archives a
> mess.

You probably did not read the suggestion to hide spam-classified mail  
away in the archives, too. The way I have arranged with my mail, is  
that it is even sorted into a special mailbox. I can then from time  
to time, typically every couple of months, determine spam  
classification mistakes by merely scanning the subjects. Checking a  
thousand mails this way, takes less then ten minutes.

> I think that probably discourages new individuals from signing
> up.

A spammed archive certainly does. I rarely look into these archives,  
just using the mail I get from the list, which by my method becomes  
essentially spam-free. But I checked some GNU archive, and it was  
shockingly spammed.

> Personally, I like the idea of just closing the list to
> non-subscribers, which would do away with both spam mail and random
> questions from people who never come back to check for a response.

The problem is that folks won't post then, loosing essential  
development information.

> But I've agreed to act as human spam filter for the time being.

Before I used the system I describe, I had a hard time with all the  
daily spam, which could runs in several tens a day. But now, only a  
few one slips through. Funnily, mostly comes from Help-Flex list, and  
most is phishing mail, which I report to  
<[email protected]>.

   Hans Aberg