Greylist headers. Was: Spam again.

[Dr Peter Young]

Sorry again to go on about this, but /please/ can someone tell me,
preferably in idiots' terms:

1) What these greylist headers actually mean. Six days ago Paul
said, "The grey listing was some experimental code my
sysadmin was working on over the past couple of days. It's
currently disabled, so shouldn't be on the main servers",
but they're still coming, attached both to spam and non-spam
messages.

2) Why in a large proportion of messages they have replaced the
normal Orpheus spam filter headers (some statistics below).

3) Whether this has any bearing on why so much more spam is now
getting through. I do accept that what we see is still only
a tiny proportion of what arrives, but a lot more is coming
since the advent of the greylist headers.

Some statistics:

Messages Spam Greylist headers only
Yesterday first thing 26 16 10
Today first thing. 42 12 11

And so it goes on during the day, though I haven't kept records.

If there can be a reasonable explanation of all this, I do promise to
shut up, but it seems to me that a previously very reliable system
isn't now working nearly so well.

With best wishes,

Peter. (In sorrow, /not/ in anger!)

--
Peter \ / zfc Er \ Prestbury, Cheltenham, Glos. GL52
Anne \/ __ __ \ England.
and / / \ | | |\ | / _ \ http://pnyoung.orpheusweb.co.uk
family / \__/ \_/ | \| \__/ \______________ ***@ormail.co.uk.

[Paul Vigay]

1) What these greylist headers actually mean. Six days ago Paul said,
"The grey listing was some experimental code my sysadmin was
working on over the past couple of days. It's currently disabled,
so shouldn't be on the main servers", but they're still coming,
attached both to spam and non-spam messages.

The header is still there, but there shouldn't be any delay.

2) Why in a large proportion of messages they have replaced the
normal Orpheus spam filter headers (some statistics below).

I'm investigating this now. They shouldn't replace them but be in addition
to them.

3) Whether this has any bearing on why so much more spam is now
getting through. I do accept that what we see is still only a tiny
proportion of what arrives, but a lot more is coming since the
advent of the greylist headers.

I'm looking into it now....

If there can be a reasonable explanation of all this, I do promise to
shut up, but it seems to me that a previously very reliable system isn't
now working nearly so well.

It's odd, as I've noticed a dramatic drop in spam here, but perhaps you're
getting all mine! ;-)
Seriously though, I'm investigating at the moment.

regards,
Paul

[Dr Peter Young]

On 27 Nov 2007 Paul Vigay

Post by Paul Vigay

1) What these greylist headers actually mean. Six days ago Paul said,
"The grey listing was some experimental code my sysadmin was
working on over the past couple of days. It's currently disabled,
so shouldn't be on the main servers", but they're still coming,
attached both to spam and non-spam messages.

The header is still there, but there shouldn't be any delay.

2) Why in a large proportion of messages they have replaced the
normal Orpheus spam filter headers (some statistics below).

I'm investigating this now. They shouldn't replace them but be in addition
to them.

A couple have arrived here where the greylist header is there, before
the other filters. I don't remember an occasion when this has happened
and when the filters have given a score, though. I may well be wrong
over this, and I'll keep my eyes open.

Post by Paul Vigay

3) Whether this has any bearing on why so much more spam is now
getting through. I do accept that what we see is still only a tiny
proportion of what arrives, but a lot more is coming since the
advent of the greylist headers.

I'm looking into it now....

Many thanks again.

Post by Paul Vigay

If there can be a reasonable explanation of all this, I do promise to
shut up, but it seems to me that a previously very reliable system isn't
now working nearly so well.

It's odd, as I've noticed a dramatic drop in spam here, but perhaps you're
getting all mine! ;-)

Quite a few of what I get, and which you won't, are forwarded from an
address that the son uses. I can't think that this should make a
difference, though, as they are such things as certain kinds of
medications, job offers, Nigerian scams, phishing messages and so on.
As the said son is getting a laptop of his own from work, which will
be mobile-phone attached, I've threatened him that I'll set the Hermes
filters to delete anything from this address from the servers unseen
if he doesn't get them forwarded to the new machine instead! :-)

Post by Paul Vigay
Seriously though, I'm investigating at the moment.

Good news, <crosses fingers>.

With best wishes,

Peter.

[Russell Hafter News]

Post by Dr Peter Young
Messages Spam Greylist
headers only
Yesterday first thing 26 16 10
Today first thing. 42 12 11

That has been pretty much my experience too today.

25 spam e-mails via Orpheus, of which only three had Spam
Assassin headers.

This does comapre unfavourably with e-mail via Purley
Hosting and via Easyspace.

Interestingly, Easyspace used to supply the vast majority of
my spam, because I was not paying them extra for spam
filtering.

Recently, though, there has been a huge drop in the spam
they provide, even though I am still not paying them to stop
it, and there are no spam filtering headers.

Presumably they find it worth while to kill a lot off on
their servers anyway.

[Tennant Stuart]

Post by Dr Peter Young
Messages Spam Greylist
headers only
Yesterday first thing 26 16 10
Today first thing. 42 12 11

That has been pretty much my experience too today. 25 spam e-mails via
Orpheus, of which only three had Spam Assassin headers.

I've just had 61 spam arrive with greylist headers (as of last night).

In early November spam was arriving only via Gan & Vila, but now with
the advent of the greylist the whole of Blake's 7 is sending it. :(


Tennant Stuart