Re: spam / train-spam

Should the "good" and "spam" commands _ever_ be used?
If so, when?


> Date: Tue, 21 Jun 2005 22:16:55 -0400
> From: Brian Burton <[email protected]>
> To: k b <[email protected]>
> CC: spamprobe-users-5NWGOfrQmneRv+LV9MX5uipxlwaOVQ5f@public.gmane.org
> Subject: Re: [Spamprobe-users] spam / train-spam
> 
> k b wrote:
> > I'm sure this has been asked before,
> > but what is the difference between `spam' and `train-spam' ?
> > When should each be used and why?
> 
> Not sure I can add much practical information to what the readme says:
> 
> FROM THE README:
> 
>    The train command tries to minimize the number of database updates by
>    only updating the database with terms from an incoming message if
>    there was insufficient confidence in the message's score.  The train
>    command always updates the database on the first 1500 of each type
>    received.  This ensures that sufficient email is classified to allow
>    the filter to operate reliably.
> 
>    As an alternative to using the train command, you can run spamprobe in
>    "receive" mode.  In that mode SpamProbe scores the email and then
>    classifies it as either spam or good based on the score.  It always
>    automatically adds the word counts for the email to the appropriate
>    database.  This is essentially like running in score mode followed
>    immediately by either spam or good mode.  It produces more database
>    I/O and a bigger database but ensures that every message has its terms
>    reflected in the database.  Personally I use train mode.  A sample
>    procmailrc file using the receive command looks like this:
> 
> In more detail: The "spam" command updates the database with terms from
> every message it processes.  The "train-spam" command only updates the
> database for a small fraction of messages.  The decision of whether or
> not to update the database for a given message is based on how the score
> SP calculated for the message.  If the score is dead on (close to 0 for
> ham or 1 for spam) then the database isn't updated for that message
> since there really isn't any need.
> 
> 
> > what is a `difficult' message to classify?
> 
> The threshold is about 0.005 for ham and 0.995 for spam.  In my own
> experience that seems to result in around 90% of ham and spam not
> needing to be added to the database.  There are some other factors
> involved but that's the idea.
-----
John Chandler


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