Negative scores (was Re: [Mimedefang] scores displayed in $tests)

Nels Lindquist nlindq at maei.ca
Wed May 7 12:23:01 EDT 2003


On 7 May 2003 at 11:43, David F. Skoll wrote:

> Also, a lot of the negative-weight scores are truly esoteric -- how
> many people get genuine e-mail that triggers USER_AGENT_GNUS_UA or
> DEBIAN_BTS_BUG that would be classified as spam without the
> negative-weight rule? :-) 

One example: you're using one of those MUAs and your ISP has been 
placed on multiple DNSBLs through no fault of your own.  And though 
it's easy to say "then don't use DNSBLs!" they *do* help more than 
they hinder, in my experience. :-)

> The only way negative scores make sense is if you have a meta-rule
> that says "if this e-mail triggers four or more negative-weighted
> rules, then reset all negative weights to zero."

Indeed.  I'm pretty sure that's the general approach they're taking 
with 2.54--especially with respect to rules which cannot possibly 
occur together in a single legitimate message.  The meta rules will 
add a large *positive* score in such cases.

----
Nels Lindquist <*>
Information Systems Manager
Morningstar Air Express Inc.




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