Subject: Defeating e-mail SPAM using Pine?

From: "Xenu's Sister" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 21 Dec 1996 08:26:08 -0600

First, my most humble apologies if this is a worn-out
and much-discussed topic. If answers to my questions
are available on the web or in a FAQ somewhere, please
point me there, gently. :-) Thanks!

I am SO sick of spam/ads in my mailbox, and I'm looking for
ways to foil spambots searching for e-mail addresses in
posts and on my web pages. Eventually, when I have every-
thing in place, I'll be changing my login name and starting
anew, so it won't matter if my name is already on various
lists (which it obviously is...let the bounces begin!).

I'm pretty used to working with Pine for both e-mail and
newsreading, and even though I have access to and can use
things like Eudora, News Express, etc., I choose to stick
with Pine. However, I'm having a problem figuring out
exactly how to configure it.

It'll be obvious that I've already discovered how to change
my user-domain in Setup/Config, as well as add a Reply-To
in customized headers, but it's still not working the way
I want it to. Every test I've done, mailing and replying
to myself, still brings up my regular e-mail address.

Ideally, what I want is to have the spam foil appear
whenever I post to news, but to *easily* be able to *NOT*
use the spam foil when I mail to friends or sign up for
mailing lists. "Easily" meaning that I don't want to have
to go into Setup/Config, make changes, log out, log back
in, blah blah blah whenever I just want to mail my son or
boyfriend or join (or unsubscribe from) a music list, etc.

Tips? Suggestions? Hate mail from potential spammers? (just
kidding, I doubt there are any here.)

(At least here, I know I'm not going to get any well-meaning,
but clueless advice to just "use a filter/killfile")

My blood pressure thanks you in advance!

Vickie (who would be very happy if e-mail spam were illegal)

---

From: Edward M Greshko <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 25 Dec 1996 16:09:53 +0800 (GMT)

> point me there, gently. :-) Thanks!

	Well, I won't point you to an FAQ but I will tell you,
gently, that you shouldn't alter your email address such that
other have to edit it to reply to you.  Then again, if you don't
want replies.....

> lists (which it obviously is...let the bounces begin!).

	The "spammers" are generally smart enough not to put valid
return addresses with their "spam".  So, the only folks to be
hurt by "bounces begin" will be your postmaster and others where
"bounces" will be bouncing around.

	Trying to hide your email address is like trying to hide
your address on a surface mail.  It will either be visible/correct
for everyone or it will be invisible/incorrect to everyone.

> to myself, still brings up my regular e-mail address.

	Well, I got your mangled email address and for some
strange reason, (Hummmm, it is Christmas...), I took the time
to edit it to reply.

> kidding, I doubt there are any here.)

	I don't think you can accomplish what you want with pine
or any UA.  The design you wish is just not gone into the code.

> but clueless advice to just "use a filter/killfile")

	If you have the time...and the desire...you could compile
pine such that it will call a program other than sendmail (I'm making the
rash assumption that your pine is currently configured to call sendmail
on the localhost).  This program would do as you wish to the headers,
etc., and then call the real sendmail to start the delivery process.

	IMHO, it is not worth the effort and indeed may do more harm than
good.  You may make better use of your time by developing a good set of
rules for an inbound mail filter program like procmail.

	Regards,

		Ed

P.S.	Since I had to edit your address to respond to you, and since
	comp.mail.pine is gatewayed to a mailing list...and since I
	use the mailing list and not the news group your email address
	is once again "in the clear".  Oooopppss....sorry.  :-) :-)

-- 
Edward M. Greshko                  Technical Manager, Electronic Commerce
                                   Control Data Asia/Pacific Region
Voice: +886-2-715-2222 x287        6/F, 131 Nanking East Road, Section 3
FAX  : +886-2-712-9197             Taipei, Taiwan R.O.C

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: 25 Dec 1996 15:15:18 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>
Xenu's Sister <[email-masked]> wrote:

> Sorry, I thought any replies I might get would be in this 
> newsgroup.

	They go to both places.  Nothing to be sorry about.  The
folks on the mailing list are just as happy to be of help as the
folks reading the newsgroup.  For personal reasons I generally 
stick with the mailing list.  (Except once in a while...like now).

> It is too much trouble, but thanks for the suggestion.

	OK.  But, as I said, I doubt that any other UA will meet 
your requirements.
 
> Filters are useless for e-mail spam, except for occasional
> cases like "earthstar" or "cybercom" because generally you
> never know where spam going to come from.

	Well, that is true.  But, maybe you know where most of your
"non spam" email is coming from and you can sort things according to
that and "shunt" the suspect mails to a folder for later review.
Also, some creative keyword searches may be helpful.
 
> The message I've been getting left and right is that the
> spammers now rule the Internet, and that e-mail spam is
> the price we pay for having a public net presence. I'm
> having a hard time accepting that. It's bad and it's only
> going to get worse. I've really loved using Pine for
> mail and News, but I guess I'm going to have to search
> for something else. Ah well...

	Again, moving to another UA is not going to solve anything.
Spam is like junk mail, which I get tons of here in Taiwan, it just
ends up in the trash.  While it clogs up the system, it only takes
less than a second to hit the delete key.  It only wastes your time
if you read it.

> S'ok, I've given up on it. Thanks for answering.

	Good luck...a pleasure.

> I had no idea that comp.mail.pine was gatewayed into a
> mailing list. My profuse apologies. I won't bother you
> all again.

	No problem!!!  Don't say you are sorry since there is no need.
That is what the group and mailing list are chartered to do.

	Regards and Happy Holidays....

	Ed

---

From: "Xenu's Sister" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 25 Dec 1996 04:11:43 -0600

> or any UA.  The design you wish is just not gone into the code.

<sigh> Right. Ok thanks. That's good to know.

Vickie