Hi all,

A few months ago (November 10, 1998), I started an experiment in which I
switched to a new email account that was used solely for the purpose of
posting to 3000-L, to see how long it would take to start getting spam.
The answer was a surprisingly long time (if I don't count a quick burst
from New Mexico). The first message to the new address wasn't received
until last month, and it's only this month that I've started receiving
them on a regular basis.

So I've deleted that address and started a new one, with this post. That
will help a little bit. But by far the largest proportion of the spam I
get is directed to my main email address (btoback AT optc.com), which I
almost never use on Usenet.

At least, I didn't think I did. I now see that my mail program
gratuitously includes an "x-sender" header containing my main email
address, and this header ends up on Usenet. Curious, I checked for other
X-sender headers in Netcom's comp.sys.hp.mpe news spool, and sure enough,
there are a number of them -- including some from list members who
otherwise disguise their return addresses. So a more sophisticated
approach is needed, which I'm going to set about implementing. But I
don't think it'll do any good, because my main address is available via
Web page harvesting from a large number of sites.

Interestingly, I have seen an upsurge in spam from my Netcom shell
account, which I haven't used for Usenet posting or email in years. (I
keep the account as a place to test SunOS code and to help diagnose
Internet connectivity problems.) So somebody's obviously got hold of the
Netcom users lists recently. The real upsurge must be even larger than
what I'm seeing, since the Netcom account uses procmail to forward only
those messages in which I'm a named recipient, not a BCC recipient. (Or
maybe lots of ISPs have implemented limits on the number of BCCs their
mailers will accept.)

-- Bruce

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bruce Toback    Tel: (602) 996-8601| My candle burns at both ends;
OPT, Inc.            (800) 858-4507| It will not last the night;
11801 N. Tatum Blvd. Ste. 142      | But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends -
Phoenix AZ 85028                   | It gives a lovely light.
btoback AT optc.com                |     -- Edna St. Vincent Millay
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