Working Bayesian Mail Filter

zonker writes "A real, working honest to god Bayesian spam filter. I've been waiting for something like this for a while (since I first read Paul Graham's research paper on this very topic a few weeks ago). Well here's POPFile, a small but extremely effective Perl script that runs on just about any system Perl does. After just a little training was I able to get very effective filtering out of it. From what I understand the new email client that comes with OS X Jaguar has a feature similar to this, but I don't know if it is true Bayesian. Hopefully this kind of feature will become more prevalant in client software as I see the Google results for it are growing."

Comments

Forget Bayes

[Evil Adrian]

We need the Stalin Mail Filter (TM) -- it detects spam, hunts down the spammer, and exiles them to Siberia.

Re:Forget Bayes

[Galahad2]

I tried that, but it was constantly too paranoid about idenifying spam. I can't even remember how many of my friends and family ended up in Vladivostok for sending me bad jokes. The problem sort of solved itself though, since the filter program eventually just barracaded itself in my second hard drive and refused to come out. The only drawback is that now I can't save anything on the drive, since the Stalin Filter instantly deletes everything it can.

I don't get any spam

[Istealmymusic]

Can someone explain why this filter would be useful to me?

Re:I don't get any spam

[moosesocks]

Just post your email address, and we'll be happy to tell you.

Re:Whas that?

[Evil Adrian]

If you had just clicked the POPFile link, you would see the explanation.

Initiative is your friend.

Hyperlinks are your friend.

Don't be afraid, just click.

Re:*BUT* it's a Perl script...

[Niksie3]

sure... an .exe file everyone could run... have you had your pills today? a perl script runs on many more platforms then any .exe file.

Bayes

[John Garvin]

Now we can tell spammers: "All your Bayes are belong to us."

Pedantry!

[Tim Browse]

that's not irony, it's sarcasm.

Actually, irony is generally considered to be "use of words to express something different from and often opposite to their literal meaning".

Sarcasm is often defined as a form of irony (but not necessarily), intended to be cutting/offensive etc.

So while his comment may have been sarcasm, it was also irony.

And I'm not pedantic, I'm pernickety. :-)

Tim

Other applications...

[Ed Avis]

How long until we can set up Bayesian by-word filtering on Slashdot comments?

Re:Sure it's promising

[Alsee]

(e.g., if you are a computer scientist, your mail may include hammy words like "algorithm" "compile" "project" or "stargate" that would help distinguish ham from spam.

I have a cousin that lives in Nigeria and we regularly discuss tips on penis enlargement. He works at a bank refinancing mortgages and his wife is a professor at an accredited university. I work in in a Las Vegas casino producing shows featuring live nude showgirls. He offered to help me pay some bills and get out of debt (a generous offer, but I told him I just found a second part time job working from home earning thousands of dollars per week). My wife is a stock broker and I regularly let my cousin in on hot stock tips. I have an herb garden, I take viagra, and use rogaine. Since we both own the same brand of printer we've been working out the best way to refill the ink cartridges. I've been trying to lose weight, but it comes right back as soon as I quit smoking.

I don't quite understand this "beysian filter" stuff, but I can't wait to try it out!

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