I used to run the email systems for Monster.com in europe (14 countries
that we operate in). I would frequently see, in real time, spam attempts
that were "brute force" based. Basically, a spammer attempting to send to a
full dictionary of addresses.

Personally, I think it's pointless to waste time switching email addresses,
writing your address as me@happyNOSPAMmelons.net, and so on.

Just go and get yourself a bayesian filter, they really do work very well. A
good free one is spambayes.sourceforge.net.

Jon

-----Original Message-----
From: DOC
To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Sent: 25/11/2003 17:24
Subject: Re: [OT]: If Finally happened!

It's not clear to me that changing email addresses is an effective
strategy.

When I first got this email address, I didn't use it for several days.
When I first checked the mail, there were about 60 spam emails!

So my address wasn't being harvested from any groups that I had been on.

I'm sure there are a number of different techniques used to build up
those lists. One seems to be just going for addresses that are sure to
be used by someone.

And I'd be really surprised if sniffers weren't being used.

Sympatico (my provider) installed spam filters for all their customers
and the junk mail dramatically dropped.

But since then it's been climbing slowly but surely.

DOC



At 09:03 AM 11/26/2003 +1100, you wrote:
>Just a heads up for everybody;
>
>I have an email address that I use EXCLUSIVELY for the PIC List. It has
>not been given to a single other person (except for the 2000+ on this
>list) and has not been posted anywhere (except of course in the
>archives).
>
>Until today, it has been sacred. The odd virus scare here and there -
>but that can't be helped. Then today - it happened. This inbox was full
>of SPAM
>
>Just wanted to let everybody know that your addresses are perhaps more
>exposed than we might have thought. I do hope that someone has not
>subscribed simply for access to our addresses.
>
>For me I'll just delete that account and setup a new one.
>
>Cheers,
>
>Sean
>
>--
>http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different
>ways.  See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.

http://www.robot-one.ca

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