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Automate Spamcop Submissions

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the spam-is-bad-mmkay dept.

hausmasta writes "Spamcop is pretty much dependent on user input. If no one submits and verifies spam, then they will have no blacklist. However that whole submission and verification process is a bit annoying. Why should I bother to actually submit spam to Spamcop and have it verified? If I just delete it, that will take less time.. This tutorial shows how to automate the Spam Cop submission and verification process. All I do is just put the spam into certain folders and our good old friend cron does the rest."

2 of 183 comments (clear)

  1. Re:NO NO NO by AaronLawrence · · Score: 4, Informative

    The point is, that YOU should CHECK the results of spamcop's parsing, to make sure something dumb hasn't happened - like listing your own provider as the spammer.

    This can happen outside your control because your email provider has changed configuration and messed up headers.

    Spamcop only needs small numbers of properly checked submissions. Piles of submissions don't help - it's not a statistical process like Bayesian filters.

    --
    For every expert, there is an equal and opposite expert. - Arthur C. Clarke
  2. Ummm, they just TOLD you what happened. by khasim · · Score: 5, Informative
    Do you think anybody at spamcop cares about false positives?
    Yes, I think they care a lot.
    My server was blocked by spamcop this past week.
    No, your IP address may have been included on one of the blacklists, but your server was not "blocked".

    The person controlling the server that your server was trying to send a message to was using a SpamCop blacklist as a rejection list.

    If you want to complain, complain to that person.
    Why? I have no idea, and no way to correct the problem, because when they block you, all they say is "You sent email to one of our secret addresses."
    The reason to keep those addresses secret is because if the spammers found them, they would not be useful anymore.

    If you have a static IP address, the problem is you. Someone with access to your out-bound email is sending spam.

    If you have a dynamic IP address, you need to get a static address.

    If you cannot get a static address, do not expect your email to always be delivered. You must monitor your logs for the rejection notices and then take whatever actions are necessary to get that site to whitelist your messages.

    Don't blame SpamCop for the situation that results in your IP address being reported to them. No one is forced to used SpamCop's blacklists. They choose to use them because they believe they are useful in reducing spam.