OT: messages to the list being blocked as spam

[UGA Listserv Admin]

Hi:
Richard Ristow's already posted about this, and I'm sorry I didn't earlier, but
1.  I didn't realize this was a widespread problem
2.  We haven't yet quite figured out a solution

The problem is that an increasing number of sites are using SpamCop, a very
aggressive blacklist service, to block mail.  UGA's mail gateways, which deliver
administrative/departmental mail as well as Listserv mail, were being blocked by
SpamCop for several weeks last month.  Much list mail was not going through, and
people were being autodeleted from lists because mail to them was continually
bouncing.

So, we became a lot more aggressive ourselves about what was considered spam on
the gateways and Listserv.  So far, this has kept us out of SpamCop.  The tests
we added work well with a general user mail stream, but not well, it seems, with
the specialized content that's posted to this list.

So we're still looking at how we can balance accepting legit mail and staying
off blacklists.  If you've had messages to the list blocked as spam by Listserv,
please send the bounce message to me: that'll help us figure out what we might
need to tweak.

--
***Jean Snow                                       [hidden email] ***
*** EITS Core Services Support/Postmaster/Listserv Admin            ***

[Hector Maletta]

Jean,
I haven't got any of my messages to the SPSSX-L list blocked by the UGA list
server, but I have had some instances of the opposite problem: messages from
the SPSSX-L list marked as spam by my own ISP. Not all of them but some. May
that be a related problem? Perhaps SpamCop or some other anti-spam service
is putting out some alerts on UGA listserv messages as possible spam, and my
ISP is following suite. Do you have any ideas about this?

Hector

-----Mensaje original-----
De: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] En nombre de UGA
Listserv Admin
Enviado el: 11 October 2006 21:55
Para: [hidden email]
Asunto: OT: messages to the list being blocked as spam

Hi:
Richard Ristow's already posted about this, and I'm sorry I didn't earlier,
but
1.  I didn't realize this was a widespread problem
2.  We haven't yet quite figured out a solution

The problem is that an increasing number of sites are using SpamCop, a very
aggressive blacklist service, to block mail.  UGA's mail gateways, which
deliver
administrative/departmental mail as well as Listserv mail, were being
blocked by
SpamCop for several weeks last month.  Much list mail was not going through,
and
people were being autodeleted from lists because mail to them was
continually
bouncing.

So, we became a lot more aggressive ourselves about what was considered spam
on
the gateways and Listserv.  So far, this has kept us out of SpamCop.  The
tests
we added work well with a general user mail stream, but not well, it seems,
with
the specialized content that's posted to this list.

So we're still looking at how we can balance accepting legit mail and
staying
off blacklists.  If you've had messages to the list blocked as spam by
Listserv,
please send the bounce message to me: that'll help us figure out what we
might
need to tweak.

--
***Jean Snow                                       [hidden email] ***
*** EITS Core Services Support/Postmaster/Listserv Admin            ***

[Frank Milthorpe]

Hi

Our internal SPAM checking GWAVA was blocking SPSS messages (I
subscribe to a daily digest version) on a regular basis. If it is not
all the time, this indicates that it is not from a black list, otherwise
it would be all the time, hence it is because of content. Perhaps it
because of the list name SPSSX, perhaps if SX appears too many time the
message is treated as SPAM. My hypothesis is in an e inserted between S
and X and derivatives help to get messages blocked on content. Maybe we
could change the list name and remove the X. Then again, it may be some
other unrelated reason. Changing the list name is probably not that
simple.

Cheers

Frank

PS
  I got the listserver put on our whitelist. This is fine is your
receive a daily digest. Not sure about people who receive individual
messages.


>>>
Jean,
I haven't got any of my messages to the SPSSX-L list blocked by the UGA
list
server, but I have had some instances of the opposite problem: messages
from
the SPSSX-L list marked as spam by my own ISP. Not all of them but
some. May
that be a related problem? Perhaps SpamCop or some other anti-spam
service
is putting out some alerts on UGA listserv messages as possible spam,
and my
ISP is following suite. Do you have any ideas about this?

Hector

-----Mensaje original-----
De: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] En nombre de
UGA
Listserv Admin
Enviado el: 11 October 2006 21:55
Para: [hidden email]
Asunto: OT: messages to the list being blocked as spam

Hi:
Richard Ristow's already posted about this, and I'm sorry I didn't
earlier,
but
1.  I didn't realize this was a widespread problem
2.  We haven't yet quite figured out a solution

The problem is that an increasing number of sites are using SpamCop, a
very
aggressive blacklist service, to block mail.  UGA's mail gateways,
which
deliver
administrative/departmental mail as well as Listserv mail, were being
blocked by
SpamCop for several weeks last month.  Much list mail was not going
through,
and
people were being autodeleted from lists because mail to them was
continually
bouncing.

So, we became a lot more aggressive ourselves about what was considered
spam
on
the gateways and Listserv.  So far, this has kept us out of SpamCop.
The
tests
we added work well with a general user mail stream, but not well, it
seems,
with
the specialized content that's posted to this list.

So we're still looking at how we can balance accepting legit mail and
staying
off blacklists.  If you've had messages to the list blocked as spam by
Listserv,
please send the bounce message to me: that'll help us figure out what
we
might
need to tweak.

--
***Jean Snow                                       [hidden email]
***
*** EITS Core Services Support/Postmaster/Listserv Admin
***



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Frank Milthorpe
Senior Manager, Transport Model Development
Transport and Population Data Centre
Department of Planning
Direct:   [phone]
Phone:  [phone]
Fax:      [phone]
Street:    Level 7, Tower 2, 1 Lawson Square, Redfern NSW 2016
Mail:       GPO Box 39, Sydney NSW 2001
Email:     [hidden email]
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[UGA Listserv Admin]

On Thu, 12 Oct 2006, Hector Maletta wrote:

> Jean,
> I haven't got any of my messages to the SPSSX-L list blocked by the UGA list
> server, but I have had some instances of the opposite problem: messages from
> the SPSSX-L list marked as spam by my own ISP. Not all of them but some. May
> that be a related problem? Perhaps SpamCop or some other anti-spam service
> is putting out some alerts on UGA listserv messages as possible spam, and my
> ISP is following suite. Do you have any ideas about this?
>
> Hector

It's all the same problem: spam.  It's getting worse all the time, and
mail providers, whether ISPs or universities, are having to be more aggressive
about keeping it from reaching their subscribers.  So there is more legit mail
being blocked everywhere, since this is not anything like an exact science.

Your ISP may have been blocking mail from UGA's listserv because SpamCop was
blocking us.  Or they may be using the same spam tests we recently added to get
out of SpamCop's block list: this would have the result of your ISP blocking
posts we let through until recently.

If you get SPSSX-L messages marked as spam by your ISP, I'd like to see a few
samples.  It might help us with our tweaking...

Jean