Re: Re: [SFBCA] Cypherpunks MEETING PRE-ANNOUNCEMENT for 15 Jan 2000

[Jim Choate <ravage@ssz.com>]

Aha, I found the culprit at last....

> The cypherpunks mailing list is run from multiple servers,
> including toad.com, infonex.com, cyberpass.net, algebra.com, and ssz.com.
> Only one of them is sending the mail to you.
> Look at the headers of mail you receive, and see which machine
> you're getting it from (not what it was sent to, since all the servers
> forward to each other, but the server that actually delivers it to you.)
> Send mail to cypherpunks-request@ thatmachine, saying "help".

NO, let me say this again, NO.

I don't believe any of the current nodes are using listproc so sending to the
above address will only cause more confusion. They won't understand the 
bounces they get. Almost all the nodes are using majordomo so send requests 
for help to either:

owner-cypherpunks@appropriate_machine_name

or 

postmaster@appropriate_machine_name

as a last resort you can try,

abuse@appropriate_machine_name

However, the reality is the user is probably trying to remove themselves
from the subscription list that generated the spam. They're new and don't
twig to the fact that the traffic isn't originating from their repeater
machine. This is a VERY commen error on the part of users. What they
actualy need is a little explanation about how the lists work, why they're
unmoderated at all, and why they'll need to impliment some sort of
filtering on their end. A very commen trick to kill about 90% of the spam
is to check and see if ones own email address or the CDR node is in the
to: or cc: fields. If it's not then it's very likely spam (though for
long cc:/bcc: lists you may have problems, but long subs like that are
pretty rare on the CDR).

I have to deal with a dozen or so of these each month. I'll add something
to the SSZ CDR homepage in the next couple of days that goes over this
problem.


    ____________________________________________________________________

            The future is downloading. Can you hear the impact?

                                        O[rphan] D[rift>]
                                        Cyber Positive

       The Armadillo Group       ,::////;::-.          James Choate
       Austin, Tx               /:'///// ``::>/|/      ravage@ssz.com
       www.ssz.com            .',  ||||    `/( e\      512-451-7087
                           -====~~mm-'`-```-mm --'-
    --------------------------------------------------------------------