Re: [Asrg] Adding a spam button to MUAs

Douglas Otis <dotis@mail-abuse.org> Wed, 16 December 2009 02:32 UTC

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Date: Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:32:01 -0800
From: Douglas Otis <dotis@mail-abuse.org>
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Subject: Re: [Asrg] Adding a spam button to MUAs
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On 12/15/09 5:48 PM, Rich Kulawiec wrote:
> I think allowing end users access to such a button is a terrible idea.
> This is the same population that routinely replies to spam, falls for
> phishes, and fails to correctly execute rudimentary tasks like unsubscribing
> from a mailing list or trimming quoted material from replies.  It would
> be simpler and about as accurate to simply check a random number generator's
> output for a "spam?/not-spam?" opinion.

If users are given any button, it should not say this is spam.  Instead 
it should say this is junk or unwanted.  When senders receive feedback 
from this category of sources, they might consider auto unsubscribing 
the messages that are from a mailing-list.  This assumes the source of 
the feedback is controlled by the postmaster, and that the account 
information is accurate.  The conduit does not need to know how the 
account specific information is confirmed.

The idea is to provide users a method where they do not need to 
unsubscribe themselves.  This can be dangerous.

-Doug