Filters that Fight Back
21 hours ago
- Improving Bayesian spam filters by following links in borderline cases can increase accuracy.
- Auto-retrieving spam filters in 'punish' mode would spider every URL in suspected spam multiple times, potentially overloading spammer servers and reducing sales.
- Auto-retrieval should be combined with human-inspected blacklists of spamvertised sites to protect legitimate services like Yahoo Mail and Hotmail.
- This method transforms the high volume of spam into a disadvantage for spammers by increasing their bandwidth and server load.
- Widespread use could lead to auto-unsubscribing filters, reducing spam problems for users with appropriate software.