Spam

[Frank Cisco]

This ng has had so much spam it's bigger than a fat bloke on a burger binge

 

[Joshua Cranmer]

This ng has had so much spam it's bigger than a fat bloke on a burger binge

And thank you for adding to it.

 

[Arne Vajhøj]

This ng has had so much spam it's bigger than a fat bloke on a burger binge

And this post is strictly about Java programming ??

Arne

 

[Roedy Green]

And thank you for adding to it.

it is not spam. See http://mindprod.com/jgloss/spam.html

Consider the aggregate effort to get rid of it. We need to automate
getting rid of it.

I have asked the Forte Agent folk several times for Bayesian filters
to no effect.

Perhaps some small project could done just for the comp.lang.java.*
newsgroups.

It would work by having people who tend to stay on top of new posts
detect spam and rate posts for quality. These result would be
summarised and posted on a website. You would have a little program to
download the latest changes( e.g. the Replicator). Then you need a
program that understands the formats of messages in a number of
popular newsreaders. You run a utility that prunes junk for you.
--
Roedy Green Canadian Mind Products
http://mindprod.com

Never discourage anyone... who continually makes progress, no matter how slow.
~ Plato 428 BC died: 348 BC at age: 80

 

[Arne Vajhøj]

it is not spam. See http://mindprod.com/jgloss/spam.html

Pretty close to your definition:

"Spam is usually an advertisement for something, but it can be any sort
of junk mail sent without any regard for whether it would be of interest
to the recipient,"

Consider the aggregate effort to get rid of it. We need to automate
getting rid of it.

I have asked the Forte Agent folk several times for Bayesian filters
to no effect.

Perhaps some small project could done just for the comp.lang.java.*
newsgroups.

It would work by having people who tend to stay on top of new posts
detect spam and rate posts for quality. These result would be
summarised and posted on a website. You would have a little program to
download the latest changes( e.g. the Replicator). Then you need a
program that understands the formats of messages in a number of
popular newsreaders. You run a utility that prunes junk for you.

No need for a central site. Just looking at the content can
get rid of 9x%.

Arne

 

[RedGrittyBrick]

it is not spam. See http://mindprod.com/jgloss/spam.html

Consider the aggregate effort to get rid of it. We need to automate
getting rid of it.

I have asked the Forte Agent folk several times for Bayesian filters
to no effect.

Perhaps some small project could done just for the comp.lang.java.*
newsgroups.

It would work by having people who tend to stay on top of new posts
detect spam and rate posts for quality.

Like the star-rating system in Google Groups? That is useless isn't it?

These result would be
summarised and posted on a website. You would have a little program to
download the latest changes( e.g. the Replicator). Then you need a
program that understands the formats of messages in a number of
popular newsreaders. You run a utility that prunes junk for you.

Wouldn't such a mechanism be enthusiastically misused by spammers and
trolls?

Even some of the respected regulars occasionally exhibit behaviour which
other respected regulars find reprehensible. I'd hate for you to be
silenced due to some minor but heated disagreement with others here.

Maybe an NNTP filter (like NewsProxy) with a peer-to-peer web-of-trust?

 

[Roedy Green]

Wouldn't such a mechanism be enthusiastically misused by spammers and
trolls?

No, because only a select few would be allowed to post to it, the
regulars. The author of the program would be the gate keeper. Anyone
could use the results. They would mainly be of use to those who only
read a fraction of the entire posts, or who don't fetch posts many
times a day. It would be service of the regulars to make the group
more useful to others.

Of course there is potential for abuse. We do get spats among
ourselves, and we can be harsh to new ideas. The hope is with at least
6 voters one person's peevishness or error would not spoil the entire
result.

The program might monitor votes and detect someone whose votes were
often at variance with the norm. The author could then investigate if
this was a legitimate difference of opinion or some attempt at
sabotage.

It is a fair bit of work with not much benefit for the author or the
voters.
--
Roedy Green Canadian Mind Products
http://mindprod.com

Never discourage anyone... who continually makes progress, no matter how slow.
~ Plato 428 BC died: 348 BC at age: 80