Re: Re: spam / train-spam

On Wed, Jun 22, 2005 at 10:38:12PM -0500, John Chandler wrote:
> Should the "good" and "spam" commands _ever_ be used?
> If so, when?

If you don't mind some disk activity, spam would probably get you
higher accuracy.  Of course, the difference should be marginal to
non-existent and more theoretical than practical.

> > 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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