[wellylug] PLEASE GET BACK TO ME ASAP

[Phil O'Connell]

These things are scams as well as spam. I've received this
Nigerian-based garbage several times but Mailwasher in Windows and KDE
Mail in Mandrake are now set to bounce them automatically and delete
them so I don't know if I have received any more recently. This morning
when I opened my email I used XP and when I saw the opening lines I
immediately blacklisted all the emails with the scam text. Mailwasher
shows samples of the first few lines and I missed >"Mrs M Sese Seko
wrote:" but caught the caps that read ">>I AM MRS..." and virtually
blacklisted the entire WLUG mailing list. Admittedly I should have
looked at the addresses but being in a hurry one doesn't always do what
one should. I am only starting to learn Linux and so predominantly use
Windows and my network is windows at present. I am using Mandrake on a
standalone machine until I become more familiar with Linux. So the
danger is that if others do what I did we could effectively but
unwittingly remove ourselves from the WLUG forum without anyone
realising. I only saved the situation when I revisited it as I thought
it odd that so many identical scam/spam emails would be arriving at
once. Maybe a delay in a percentage of posts (non registered
contributors) is the only solution. There was a time when you could walk
into Parliament and straight to your local MP's office without being
stopped, questioned or challenged. Circumstances and times have changed
that. Maybe the same applies here - a necessary evil to combat a greater
one. Also I like the suggestion of learning spamassassin being a topic
at a future meeting. I have been intending to get to them but have not
got the chance lately and it is a fair way out here in Porirua but
hopefully I may make the next one with a bit of luck.

-----Original Message-----
From: wellylug-admin at lists.naos.co.nz
[mailto:wellylug-admin at lists.naos.co.nz] On Behalf Of Ewen McNeill
Sent: Sunday, 6 July 2003 10:57 a.m.
To: wellylug at lists.naos.co.nz
Subject: Re: [wellylug] PLEASE GET BACK TO ME ASAP 

In message <3F075421.60109 at paradise.net.nz>, Joe Wilson writes:
>Mrs M Sese Seko wrote:
>>I AM MRS. MARIAM SESE-SEKO WIDOW OFLATE PRESIDENT MOBUTU SESE-SEKO OF
>>ZAIRE,NOW KNOWN AS DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO(DRC).I AM MOVED TO
WRITE
>>[....]
>
>spam on the message thing :-/

:-(

The mailing list is currently configured for "anyone can post", mainly
because in my experience there are a bunch of people who don't remember
to post with the address they're subscribed to the list (or can't any
longer, 'cause it's just forwarded to them) on any list.

I can change the mailing list to "only registered list members can post"
easily but any posts from other addresses would have to be manually
approved/deleted by someone -- either Jamie as list owner or me (I'm
sure
other volunteers to approve posts would be welcomed).  In my experience
this means a bunch of posts get delayed for a day or two until someone
gets to check on them and approve them, which slows down the discussion.

I could probably also set it up so incoming messages are processed by
spamassassin, and those with high spam scores are just thrown away.
That would require less manual intervention, but means that really
spammy looking messages would never be seen by anyone.  (Well I could
forward them to someone to bounce back to the list, but I doubt anyone
wants any "probably spam" messages that they've got to review.)

IME spamassassin is very effective (catches about 98% of all my incoming
spam), and very reliable (it's been ages since I've had a false
positive), so the risk of losing messages that way is probably pretty
small.

It's probably best if any such decision comes from the Wellylug group
itself -- if someone (or many someones!) let me know what they'd prefer
I'll try to set it up (I'm away from some of this week at the Uniforum
conference so there may be a bit of a delay).

Ewen McNeill, Naos Ltd (the company hosting the mailing list)

-- 
Wellington Linux Users Group Mailing List: wellylug at lists.naos.co.nz
To Leave:  http://lists.naos.co.nz/mailman/listinfo/wellylug

---
Incoming mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.492 / Virus Database: 291 - Release Date: 24/06/2003
 

---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.492 / Virus Database: 291 - Release Date: 24/06/2003