Spam defeated!

Tea

Storage? I am Storage!
Joined
Jan 15, 2002
Messages
3,749
Location
27a No Fixed Address, Oz.
Website
www.redhill.net.au
I just downloaded and installed a package called Junk Spy. You can get it from www.junkspy.com

I've tried many and various junkmail blockers before, but this one is far and away the best I have ever seen. So far, since I installed it on Friday, I have had 64 emails, with the following results:

Junk mail intercepted successfully: 39

Real mail allowed through to my inbox: 21

Junk mail not intercepted: 4 (or two, depending on how you count them - I got three copies of one spam, to three of my various email addresses, plus one copy of another)

Real mail intercepted in error: 0

Considering that I have done no customization at all bar installing the package, that is a fantastic result. I've emailed copies of the two junk messages that got throughto junk@junkspy.com (as they request) and before too long they won't get through either.

Junk Spy costs US$59 and includes a one-year subscription to updates. Renewal costs US$24 a year. (It works just like an anti-virus subscription.) It is available for both its naitive OS/2 and now also Windows (any version from W95A through to XP Pro) and works with almost any email client.

You can have as many mail boxes as you like, as many email addresses as you like, and provided you are a single user using one machine at a time, you can load it onto as many different machines as you like. (I have it loaded on my OS/2 main office server, and also on my W2K box at home. One licence, perfectly legitimate.)


You have full control over the accept/reject rule database, and can add to it or modify it at will.

Installation is a breeze. You can specify things if you need to, such as your TCP/IP settings, but it auto-senses most of that stuff. Then, simply go to your email client and adjust your mail settings as follows:

Mail Server: "localhost" (this can vary, but localhost works on almost all machines)
Username: username/mail.yourmailserver.com

(That's assuming that your username is "username" and your mail server is "mail.yourmailserver.com". Not exactly rocket science, is it. Even Tannin could set this one up.) It should work with any email server except (a) web-based mail of the Hotmail flavour (no loss) and (b) AOL (even less of a loss).

You will notice a slight degradation in speed, as instead of simply fetching your mail, your client will ask Junk Spy for mail and wait while Junk Spy downloads the first item and checks it, then passes it to your mail client, then gets the next item, and so on. It takes maybe 50% longer to check my mail than it did without Junk Spy. A very small price to pay. Depending on your preferences and on the capabilities of your mail client, you can choose to either just delete the junk messages or to filter them out into a seperate in-basket (so that you can go through them every now and then, just in case Junk Spy has flagged a "real" message as spam..

The demo is free to download and is 100% functional except that it only blocks the first two junk emails each day.

Is Junk Spy worth the US$54? My oath it is. Worth every penny and then some. Highly recommended.
 

e_dawg

Storage Freak
Joined
Jul 19, 2002
Messages
1,903
Location
Toronto-ish, Canada
Tea said:
adjust your mail settings as follows:

Mail Server: "localhost" (this can vary, but localhost works on almost all machines)
Username: username/mail.yourmailserver.com

(That's assuming that your username is "username" and your mail server is "mail.yourmailserver.com". Not exactly rocket science, is it. Even Tannin could set this one up.) It should work with any email server except (a) web-based mail of the Hotmail flavour (no loss) and (b) AOL (even less of a loss).

Now what if you are using Norton Antivirus to filter your e-mails for incoming virii using the same mail redirection trick?

Right now I have it setup as:
Mail Server: pop3.norton.antivirus
Username: username/mail.mymailserver.com

Is there any way of "daisy chaining" the mail redirection so that it goes through NAV first and then goes to Junk Spy?
 

Tea

Storage? I am Storage!
Joined
Jan 15, 2002
Messages
3,749
Location
27a No Fixed Address, Oz.
Website
www.redhill.net.au
Yup. From the Junk Spy website:
Can I configure Norton AntiVirus and Junk Spy to work together?

Junk Spy and Norton AntiVirus (NAV) Email Protection work on similar principals. Your email program is configured to communicate with one of these programs so that it can scan your email before it is received.

By default Junk Spy and some versions of NAV try to use the same resources so it is necessary to make changes for them to work together. This is not an issue with Norton Antivirus 2002, so the easiest solution is to upgrade to NAV 2002 before trying to use Junk Spy.

As a general rule, this is not an issue with most other antivirus programs. However, it is known to apply to PC-cillin 2000 and similar settings changes are necessary for it as well.

If you are running an antivirus program, there is specific information on what to look for and what to do. Be sure to read about Junk Spy’s Antivirus Coexistence. Following the instructions will let both your anitvirus program and Junk Spy compatibly operate.

Of course, if you were not irretrievably wedded to Microsoft Outbreak, you wouldn't need an anti-virus program. :mrgrn:

(Tea! Stop that at once!)

(Sorry.)
 

e_dawg

Storage Freak
Joined
Jul 19, 2002
Messages
1,903
Location
Toronto-ish, Canada
Tea said:
Of course, if you were not irretrievably wedded to Microsoft Outbreak, you wouldn't need an anti-virus program. :mrgrn:

Gasp! Blasphemer!

No banana for you!
soup_nazi.jpg
 

Tea

Storage? I am Storage!
Joined
Jan 15, 2002
Messages
3,749
Location
27a No Fixed Address, Oz.
Website
www.redhill.net.au
I have informed The Grammar Police about this breech of protocol, and PMed the Soup_Nazi so that, if he wishes, he can come over here and defend his turf. Can just anyone post the Soup_Nazi's picture?
 

The Grammar Police

Learning Storage Performance
Joined
May 30, 2002
Messages
124
Location
We are everywhere!
Strictly speaking, Tea, this is not my department. However I thank you for your public spirit in drawing this matter to my attention. You may rest assured that, although this falls outside of my jurisdiction, and outside the jurisdiction of my friend the OT Polezi also, we will give it our full and immediate attention. Alas, it appears that we are powerles to act at this time.

Is there an Iconjacking Policeman in the house?
 

CNN Sport

What is this storage?
Joined
Feb 12, 2002
Messages
22
Location
Your Home Town USA
"Thanks for staying with us. You're on CNN Sport and I'm Dave Spadruck. Ed. What do you think of the great Iconjacking Scandal?"

"Storm in a ... er ... dare I say 'storm in a teacup', Dave?"

"Guess you just did, Ed. We seem to be still on air, so I guess it must have been allright. But you don't think there is too much too it?"

"No Dave. I mean, who is the Soup_Nazi anyway? Hasn't got a gurnsey in the Big League for a month now. He is like Matthew Llyod over at Essendon: a has been. I don't see any reason why his number ought not to be recycled anyway."

"Whoah Ed! Now that is a big statement. You could get in a lot of trouble for that."

"What? Saying something uncomplientary anout the Soup_Nazi"

"No you foo!. Calling Matty Llyod a has been."

"But Dave, did you see last week's game? He was ..."

"Ahem. I think we better take a commercial break before we get in any more trouble."
 

Tannin

Storage? I am Storage!
Joined
Jan 15, 2002
Messages
4,448
Location
Huon Valley, Tasmania
Website
www.redhill.net.au
Now just cool it, you lot!

Dunno what the world is coming to when a man can't turn his back for five minutes without having to put up with his own aliases arguing. Just ignore them, e_dawg.

Anyway, Soup_Nazi is no alias of mine. I dunno what Tea is so upset about. Just seeking attention, I guess, same as usual.

(I am not!)

(I wasn't asking you.)

Don't worry about her. It's normal at her age. She will grow out of it. Eventually. I think.
 

e_dawg

Storage Freak
Joined
Jul 19, 2002
Messages
1,903
Location
Toronto-ish, Canada
These days, I get that way about chocolate croissants. Just bought a trio of them from the bakery yesterday afternoon and finished them in the span of 7 hours.
 

Pradeep

Storage? I am Storage!
Joined
Jan 21, 2002
Messages
3,845
Location
Runny glass
e_dawg said:
Tea said:
adjust your mail settings as follows:

Mail Server: "localhost" (this can vary, but localhost works on almost all machines)
Username: username/mail.yourmailserver.com

(That's assuming that your username is "username" and your mail server is "mail.yourmailserver.com". Not exactly rocket science, is it. Even Tannin could set this one up.) It should work with any email server except (a) web-based mail of the Hotmail flavour (no loss) and (b) AOL (even less of a loss).

Now what if you are using Norton Antivirus to filter your e-mails for incoming virii using the same mail redirection trick?

Use NAV 2002, it filters transparently, and doesn't touch your account settings in your email client.
Right now I have it setup as:
Mail Server: pop3.norton.antivirus
Username: username/mail.mymailserver.com

Is there any way of "daisy chaining" the mail redirection so that it goes through NAV first and then goes to Junk Spy?
 

Prof.Wizard

Wannabe Storage Freak
Joined
Jan 26, 2002
Messages
1,460
Nothing works. Had to check my mail for a week and found some 300 messages... :(

Spam is definitely the scourge of today's Internet. It ruins e-mail as a valuable tool of communication...
Shame.
 

Tannin

Storage? I am Storage!
Joined
Jan 15, 2002
Messages
4,448
Location
Huon Valley, Tasmania
Website
www.redhill.net.au
Hey Prof, good to see you back! You've been on holiday right? On the shores of the Mediterianian in summer, right. Well don't tell me all about it!

(You'll just have to excuse Tea, Prof. She hates winter.)

Now. if you'll excuse me being on-topic for a minute, Junk Spy really does work. I've been using it for about ten days now, and if my memory is to be trusted (I'm not at work yet where I have the exact figures) it's blocked about 140 junk messages, let through about 12, and correctly identified about 120 real emails. There was one message only that it flagged as junk that wasn't, and that one was borderline. Give it a look, it might just be your answer.
 

OT: Polizei

What is this storage?
Joined
Jun 19, 2002
Messages
38
Location
Überall
The Grammar Police said:
Strictly speaking, Tea, this is not my department. However I thank you for your public spirit in drawing this matter to my attention. You may rest assured that, although this falls outside of my jurisdiction, and outside the jurisdiction of my friend the OT Polezi also, we will give it our full and immediate attention. Alas, it appears that we are powerles to act at this time.

Is there an Iconjacking Policeman in the house?

Benötigt jemand Hilfe?
 

Prof.Wizard

Wannabe Storage Freak
Joined
Jan 26, 2002
Messages
1,460
Yes, I've been by my seaside house in the beautiful Nothern Greece. 8)
Sun, friends, swimming, tanning, and my girlfriend... a far cry from the dark winter nights alone studying medicine... :-?

Tannin said:
Now. if you'll excuse me being on-topic for a minute, Junk Spy really does work. I've been using it for about ten days now, and if my memory is to be trusted (I'm not at work yet where I have the exact figures) it's blocked about 140 junk messages, let through about 12, and correctly identified about 120 real emails. There was one message only that it flagged as junk that wasn't, and that one was borderline. Give it a look, it might just be your answer.
Well, one false negative is indeed too little for ten-days of spam proof life.

However, I'm worried more about false negatives (which might be an important mail lost) than false positives (which can be those 12 junk mails that passed the filtering)...

The same happens in Medicine. Better have a false positive and investigate further than a false negative and a growing cancer... :eek:
 

Tannin

Storage? I am Storage!
Joined
Jan 15, 2002
Messages
4,448
Location
Huon Valley, Tasmania
Website
www.redhill.net.au
Provided your email client is not completely brain-dead, Prof, you always have the option to look through your rejected junk, just in case there is a "real" message in there. Also, if you forward a copy of the false positive to notjunk@junkspy.com they update their database to take account of that. (The only thing you need is a mail client that can do very basic filtering and sort into folders from that. I use PMMail, but most of the better mail clients can do it.)
 

Mercutio

Fatwah on Western Digital
Joined
Jan 17, 2002
Messages
22,269
Location
I am omnipresent
Spamihilator appears to work marvelously. I just set it up for some of my lab machines and from the default settings it caught about 85% of the crap in each machine's mail queue (average of 70 mails). Setup was painless and best of all the program is free.
 

SteveC

Storage is cool
Joined
Jul 5, 2002
Messages
789
Location
NJ, USA
Santilli said:
http://www.cloudmark.com/
Their free version works great. Easy steps to block..
s

Cloudmark's Spamnet does work well, but it's only for Outlook.

Am I the only one here who doesn't get a lot of spam? I probably get about 2-3 a week.
 

Fushigi

Storage Is My Life
Joined
Jan 23, 2002
Messages
2,890
Location
Illinois, USA
SteveC said:
Am I the only one here who doesn't get a lot of spam? I probably get about 2-3 a week.
I get anywhere from 2-12 a day. Mostly it's about 3 per. That's with no filtering at all on my main personal email account.

My work account doesn't really get any and I don't think we do any filtering at the Exchange level either. I get newsletters and stuff but it's all messages I've signed up to receive.

Of course, I'm careful about giving out my email addresses and will use a nonsense account if the site requires an address and I don't trust them. webmaster@127.0.0.1 is a goodie, as is support@theirdomain.com.

Within IE I have no profile info defined and leave things like AutoComplete, ActiveX, etc. disabled. I also prompt for cookies and do a lot of blocking of ad sites.

- Fushigi
 

blakerwry

Storage? I am Storage!
Joined
Oct 12, 2002
Messages
4,203
Location
Kansas City, USA
Website
justblake.com
i only get spam on my spam account (and every once in a while on my engineering school acct) My main personal account has been spam free.

Although I have a legacy excite email acocunt that I've kept for many years and it's seeing a lot of spam recently. :-( I only check it about once a week.. but it seems it gets 1 spam per day or so.
 
Top