Re: [Asrg] Adding a spam button to MUAs

Nathaniel Borenstein <nsb@guppylake.com> Mon, 21 December 2009 17:48 UTC

Return-Path: <nsb@guppylake.com>
X-Original-To: asrg@core3.amsl.com
Delivered-To: asrg@core3.amsl.com
Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by core3.amsl.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 584473A6A4E for <asrg@core3.amsl.com>; Mon, 21 Dec 2009 09:48:53 -0800 (PST)
X-Virus-Scanned: amavisd-new at amsl.com
X-Spam-Flag: NO
X-Spam-Score: 0.157
X-Spam-Level:
X-Spam-Status: No, score=0.157 tagged_above=-999 required=5 tests=[BAYES_50=0.001, SUBJECT_FUZZY_TION=0.156]
Received: from mail.ietf.org ([64.170.98.32]) by localhost (core3.amsl.com [127.0.0.1]) (amavisd-new, port 10024) with ESMTP id WQktghMp3pu2 for <asrg@core3.amsl.com>; Mon, 21 Dec 2009 09:48:52 -0800 (PST)
Received: from server1.netnutz.com (server1.netnutz.com [72.233.90.3]) by core3.amsl.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id A81AF3A6994 for <asrg@irtf.org>; Mon, 21 Dec 2009 09:48:52 -0800 (PST)
Received: from 174-157-30-205.pools.spcsdns.net ([174.157.30.205]) by server1.netnutz.com with esmtpa (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from <nsb@guppylake.com>) id 1NMmNS-0004AC-9H for asrg@irtf.org; Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:49:05 -0500
References: <alpine.BSF.2.00.0912082138050.20682@simone.lan> <20091216014800.GA29103@gsp.org> <DBF77720-200E-4846-949F-924388F9CC15@blighty.com> <20091216120742.GA28622@gsp.org> <20091216185904.3B9032421D@panix5.panix.com> <4B296458.5070603@mail-abuse.org> <16C1C8A4-D223-435B-93BC-A9D44F5965A1@guppylake.com> <B14EC7430355853625D0D4EA@lewes.staff.uscs.susx.ac.uk> <BBF2AC03-3C88-4557-9346-343347C196A9@guppylake.com> <240DB04672256506ED548857@lewes.staff.uscs.susx.ac.uk> <4B2A7E8D.8060104@nd.edu> <AF09C4BE1E9DB501F0D2CDF3@paine.local>
In-Reply-To: <AF09C4BE1E9DB501F0D2CDF3@paine.local>
Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v1077)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Message-Id: <940DF2A7-C912-49C1-B967-E82CA69649D3@guppylake.com>
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
From: Nathaniel Borenstein <nsb@guppylake.com>
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:46:00 -0500
To: Anti-Spam Research Group - IRTF <asrg@irtf.org>
X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.1077)
X-AntiAbuse: This header was added to track abuse, please include it with any abuse report
X-AntiAbuse: Primary Hostname - server1.netnutz.com
X-AntiAbuse: Original Domain - irtf.org
X-AntiAbuse: Originator/Caller UID/GID - [47 12] / [47 12]
X-AntiAbuse: Sender Address Domain - guppylake.com
Subject: Re: [Asrg] Adding a spam button to MUAs
X-BeenThere: asrg@irtf.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.9
Precedence: list
Reply-To: Anti-Spam Research Group - IRTF <asrg@irtf.org>
List-Id: Anti-Spam Research Group - IRTF <asrg.irtf.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://www.irtf.org/mailman/listinfo/asrg>, <mailto:asrg-request@irtf.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://www.irtf.org/mail-archive/web/asrg>
List-Post: <mailto:asrg@irtf.org>
List-Help: <mailto:asrg-request@irtf.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://www.irtf.org/mailman/listinfo/asrg>, <mailto:asrg-request@irtf.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:48:53 -0000

On Dec 20, 2009, at 7:09 AM, Ian Eiloart wrote:

> The point is that if your users have a mail client with two buttons, it's capable of making a distinction that will be useful to some admins. Other admins my chose not to make use of the distinction, but if you extinguish the information before it reaches the admin, then it's impossible to reconstruct it.

At the risk of beating a dead horse, this may or may not be true.  The key question isn't whether the mail client can make the distinction, it's whether the users can.  If the users can't use the client's two buttons with sufficiently low error rates, then the resulting data can't possibly be useful to the admins.  In other words, what  you state as fact is actually a testable proposition (about which I am skeptical).  -- Nathaniel