From: mark@unicorn.com
Date: Thu, 19 Feb 1998 20:18:16 +0800
To: cypherpunks@cyberpass.net
Subject: MailGuard
Message-ID: <887890124.21343.193.133.230.33@unicorn.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



>I think that this could easily be fixed by only sending out the request
>once then adding the address to the possiable spam list until a reply is
>received or there is user intervention.

Sure, but that doesn't stop the problem at the other end. According to
the company:

"Messages received from other copies of the 
program are either brought to the attention of the user, or (if the user 
so desires) result in the automatic transmission of a positive response to
the 
other copies of the program, which response causes the other copies of the 
program to 'approve' the user."

This implies that they have some 'magic marker' in the challenge messages
which forces the software to pass it on to the user. In which case, a
spammer can merely add this marker to his messages and they will get
through to anyone who has the software configured that way.

>I do not run WinBlows on any of my
>Inet connected machines so I can not test it here (well I could but I am
>not *that* intrested in it).

Ditto.

>Mailing list seem like they would be a problem as diferent mailing list
>use different formats. Unless the software is sophisticated enough to take
>this into account you could see alot of garbage being posted.

I've seen this problem with other active 'anti-spam' programs on other
lists; it's a real pain in the ass. They say the software handles lists
properly, but who knows?

>The fake e-mail address seems to be a real problem if they resolve to a
>valid domain let alone a valid e-mail address not belonging to the spamer.

Exactly; any kind of active anti-spam is a pain in the ass in this
case. I just filter and delete, which gets 95%+ of spam sent to my
account; 3MB in the last nine months, last I checked.

    Mark