Path: vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.erols.net!worldnet.att.net!news.sprintlink.net!news-peer.sprintlink.net!news.idt.net!nntp.farm.idt.net!news From: tskirvin@uiuc.edu (Tim Skirvin) Newsgroups: news.admin.net-abuse.misc Subject: cmsg cancel Control: cancel Date: Sun, 02 Mar 1997 13:00:05 GMT Organization: UIUC Lines: 2 Message-ID: <5fbtia$45l@nnrp2.farm.idt.net> Reply-To: usenet@pgh.org NNTP-Posting-Host: dialup1.pgh.sgi.net X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.0.82 cancel Path: vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.erols.net!worldnet.att.net!news.sprintlink.net!news-peer.sprintlink.net!news.idt.net!nntp.farm.idt.net!news ~From: tskirvin@uiuc.edu (Tim Skirvin) ~Newsgroups: news.admin.net-abuse.misc ~Subject: cmsg cancel ~Control: cancel ~Date: Sun, 02 Mar 1997 13:00:29 GMT Organization: UIUC ~Lines: 2 Message-ID: <5fbtj3$45l@nnrp2.farm.idt.net> ~Reply-To: usenet@pgh.org NNTP-Posting-Host: dialup1.pgh.sgi.net X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.0.82 cancel Path: vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!news.sprintlink.net!news-peer.sprintlink.net!news.idt.net!nntp.farm.idt.net!news ~From: tskirvin@uiuc.edu (Tim Skirvin) ~Newsgroups: news.admin.net-abuse.misc ~Subject: cmsg cancel ~Control: cancel ~Date: Sun, 02 Mar 1997 13:01:09 GMT Organization: UIUC ~Lines: 3 Message-ID: <5fbtkb$45l@nnrp2.farm.idt.net> ~Reply-To: usenet@pgh.org NNTP-Posting-Host: dialup1.pgh.sgi.net X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.0.82 cancel Path: vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!news.sprintlink.net!news-peer.sprintlink.net!news.idt.net!nntp.farm.idt.net!news ~From: tskirvin@uiuc.edu (Tim Skirvin) ~Newsgroups: news.admin.net-abuse.misc ~Subject: cmsg cancel ~Control: cancel ~Date: Sun, 02 Mar 1997 13:02:11 GMT Organization: UIUC ~Lines: 2 Message-ID: <5fbtm8$45l@nnrp2.farm.idt.net> ~Reply-To: usenet@pgh.org NNTP-Posting-Host: dialup1.pgh.sgi.net X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.0.82 cancel Path: vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!news.sprintlink.net!news-peer.sprintlink.net!news.idt.net!nntp.farm.idt.net!news ~From: tskirvin@uiuc.edu (Tim Skirvin) ~Newsgroups: news.admin.net-abuse.misc ~Subject: cmsg cancel ~Control: cancel ~Date: Sun, 02 Mar 1997 13:02:38 GMT Organization: UIUC ~Lines: 2 Message-ID: <5fbtn4$45l@nnrp2.farm.idt.net> ~Reply-To: usenet@pgh.org NNTP-Posting-Host: dialup1.pgh.sgi.net X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.0.82 cancel Path: vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!news.sprintlink.net!news-peer.sprintlink.net!news.idt.net!nntp.farm.idt.net!news ~From: tskirvin@uiuc.edu (Tim Skirvin) ~Newsgroups: news.admin.net-abuse.misc ~Subject: cmsg cancel ~Control: cancel ~Date: Sun, 02 Mar 1997 13:03:50 GMT Organization: UIUC ~Lines: 2 Message-ID: <5fbtpb$45l@nnrp2.farm.idt.net> ~Reply-To: usenet@pgh.org NNTP-Posting-Host: dialup1.pgh.sgi.net X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.0.82 cancel Path: vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!news.sprintlink.net!news-peer.sprintlink.net!news.idt.net!nntp.farm.idt.net!news ~From: tskirvin@uiuc.edu (Tim Skirvin) ~Newsgroups: news.admin.net-abuse.misc ~Subject: cmsg cancel ~Control: cancel ~Date: Sun, 02 Mar 1997 13:03:22 GMT Organization: UIUC ~Lines: 2 Message-ID: <5fbtof$45l@nnrp2.farm.idt.net> ~Reply-To: usenet@pgh.org NNTP-Posting-Host: dialup1.pgh.sgi.net X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.0.82 cancel Path: vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!news.sprintlink.net!news-peer.sprintlink.net!news.idt.net!nntp.farm.idt.net!news ~From: tskirvin@uiuc.edu (Tim Skirvin) ~Newsgroups: news.admin.net-abuse.misc ~Subject: cmsg cancel ~Control: cancel ~Date: Sun, 02 Mar 1997 13:04:40 GMT Organization: UIUC ~Lines: 2 Message-ID: <5fbtqu$45l@nnrp2.farm.idt.net> ~Reply-To: usenet@pgh.org NNTP-Posting-Host: dialup1.pgh.sgi.net X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.0.82 cancel Path: vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!news.sprintlink.net!news-peer.sprintlink.net!news.idt.net!nntp.farm.idt.net!news ~From: tskirvin@uiuc.edu (Tim Skirvin) ~Newsgroups: news.admin.net-abuse.misc ~Subject: cmsg cancel ~Control: cancel ~Date: Sun, 02 Mar 1997 13:05:03 GMT Organization: UIUC ~Lines: 2 Message-ID: <5fbtrk$45l@nnrp2.farm.idt.net> ~Reply-To: usenet@pgh.org NNTP-Posting-Host: dialup1.pgh.sgi.net X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.0.82 cancel Path: vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!news.sprintlink.net!news-peer.sprintlink.net!news.idt.net!nntp.farm.idt.net!news ~From: tskirvin@uiuc.edu (Tim Skirvin) ~Newsgroups: news.admin.net-abuse.misc ~Subject: cmsg cancel ~Control: cancel ~Date: Sun, 02 Mar 1997 13:05:58 GMT Organization: UIUC ~Lines: 2 Message-ID: <5fbttb$45l@nnrp2.farm.idt.net> ~Reply-To: usenet@pgh.org NNTP-Posting-Host: dialup1.pgh.sgi.net X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.0.82 cancel Path: vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.erols.net!news.bbnplanet.com!cam-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.idt.net!nntp.farm.idt.net!news From: tskirvin@uiuc.edu (Tim Skirvin) Newsgroups: chi.internet Subject: cmsg cancel <5d36s0$h91@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu> Control: cancel <5d36s0$h91@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu> Date: Thu, 06 Feb 1997 12:48:17 GMT Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana Lines: 2 Message-ID: <5dck04$3ed@nnrp3.farm.idt.net> Reply-To: tskirvin@uiuc.edu NNTP-Posting-Host: dialup90.bv.sgi.net X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.0.82 illegal article canceler canceled -- Newsgroups: chi.internet Subject: Re: I'm annoyed References: <5bsqc5$f5j@eve.enteract.com> <5cc1bo$m22@nntp.interaccess.com> <5ce4j8$cd2@eve.enteract.com> <5ctehk$pkq@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu> <5d3kgl$rro@eve.enteract.com> Reply-to: tskirvin@uiuc.edu X-Note: If you got this through mail, it was probably posted and mailed. From: tskirvin@uiuc.edu (Tim Skirvin) X-Newsreader: NN version 6.5.0 (NOV) Status: OR pleasenospam@nospam.net (Mike) writes: >>: >People that like to kill file lots of people that post can't accept any >>: >criticism, can't stand satirical posts, can't stand egotistical posts and >>: >are particularly adverse to learning from other people. >>: *Heh* >> That, and we think your email address sucks. :) >Nope kid *only you thinks that & that its a real email address* >Speak for yourself little boy danny. >Plus Tim never said that or agreed with you mr. erroneus dumb dannyboy. FWIW, I do agree with him on a few things here - using those non-standard email addresses that require people to edit them to reply is annoying. I don't consider it a major thing, of course, but it's worth grumbling about occasionally when I forget to change the recipients list. I've also met Dan in person, and I see him on a fairly regular basis since he lives a couple of floors down from me. Nice guy, if a bit abrasive at times and blatantly wrong in his politics... - Tim Skirvin (tskirvin@uiuc.edu) -- Skirv's Homepage <*> The Dungeon Path: vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.erols.net!news.bbnplanet.com!cam-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.idt.net!nntp.farm.idt.net!news From: tskirvin@uiuc.edu (Tim Skirvin) Newsgroups: chi.internet Subject: cmsg cancel <5cte83$p9a@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu> Control: cancel <5cte83$p9a@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu> Date: Thu, 06 Feb 1997 12:50:27 GMT Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana Lines: 2 Message-ID: <5dck45$3ed@nnrp3.farm.idt.net> Reply-To: tskirvin@uiuc.edu NNTP-Posting-Host: dialup90.bv.sgi.net X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.0.82 illegal article canceler canceled -- Newsgroups: chi.internet Subject: Re: I'm annoyed References: <5bsqc5$f5j@eve.enteract.com> <5cb2bk$7fo@nntp.interaccess.com> <5cblit$ha1@huitzilo.tezcat.com> <5cdlto$die@nntp.interaccess.com> <5cn4jv$evd@huitzilo.tezcat.com> <32F0796F.EF2@webspun.com> <32F14134.1802@webspun.com> <32F3C59C.22E2@webspun.com> Reply-to: tskirvin@uiuc.edu X-Note: If you got this through mail, it was probably posted and mailed. From: tskirvin@uiuc.edu (Tim Skirvin) X-Newsreader: NN version 6.5.0 (NOV) Status: OR "Clifton T. Sharp, Jr." writes: >Well, it has been only about a year since the first major spam by Canter >and Siegel. (Not exactly hard data, but an indication of very fast growth.) Three years, IIRC; I thought it was in early 1994. - Tim Skirvin (tskirvin@uiuc.edu) -- Skirv's Homepage <*> The Dungeon Path: vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.erols.net!news.bbnplanet.com!cam-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.idt.net!nntp.farm.idt.net!news From: tskirvin@uiuc.edu (Tim Skirvin) Newsgroups: news.admin.net-abuse.misc Subject: cmsg cancel Control: cancel Date: Wed, 05 Feb 1997 11:16:21 GMT Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana Lines: 2 Message-ID: <5d9q7m$8kn@nnrp1.farm.idt.net> Reply-To: tskirvin@symcom.math.uiuc.edu NNTP-Posting-Host: dialup90.bv.sgi.net X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.0.82 cancel illegal article -- From: tskirvin@uiuc.edu (Tim Skirvin) Reply-to: tskirvin@uiuc.edu Newsgroups: news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins,news.admin.net-abuse.usenet,news.admin.net-abuse.sightings,news.admin.net-abuse.misc,news.answers Subject: FAQ: Current Usenet spam thresholds and guidelines Followup-To: poster Supersedes: Message-ID: Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.EDU, nanas-req@ravenna.com Summary: This posting contains the current Spam definitions, thresholds, and guidelines, as used by most major spam cancellers and news administrators. Archive-name: usenet/spam-faq Posting-Frequency: weekly Last-modified: 1996/10/15 URL: http://www.uiuc.edu/ph/www/tskirvin/spam.html Maintainer: tskirvin@uiuc.edu (Tim Skirvin) Original-author: clewis@ferret.ocunix.on.ca (Chris Lewis) Current Spam thresholds and guidelines. This article is intended to describe the current consensus spam thresholds and ensure that the definitions of these terms are availible. It is believed that most, if not all, spam cancellers use these terms and definitions in their work; however, many other people use the terms inappropriately, which leands to confusion in discussions. This is an informal FAQ aimed at clarity and understanding, not anal-retentive correctness. Excessive Multi-Posting (EMP) has the same meaning as the term "spam" usually carries, but it is more accurate and self-explanatory. EMP means, essentially, "too many separate copies of a substantively identical article." "Substantively identical" means that the material in each article is sufficiently similar to construe the same message. The signature is included in the determination. These are examples of substantively identical articles: - byte-for-byte identical messages - otherwise identical postings minimally customized for each group it appears in. - advertising the same service. - articles that consist solely of the same signature - articles which consist of inclusions of other user's postings, but are otherwise identical. Cross-posting means that a single message appears in more than one group. Most newsreaders allow you to specify more than one group in a posting. Excessive Crossposting (ECP), also known as "Velveeta", refers to where a "lot" of postings to more than one group each have been made. Some people think cross-posting is "bad". In and of itself, it's good behaviour - it allows you to reach more groups with less impact on the net. Especially if you set the followup-to: header to one group. It is "bad" when it's done to provoke flamewars (like cross-posting how to cook a cat between alt.tasteless and rec.pet.cats), but this is not the topic of this FAQ. This author considers the term "spam" to mean excessive postings of EMP and/or ECP variety. That is, "spam", is a generic term for several different things. The term was originally supposed to mean EMPs only, but most people use "spam" to mean "any excessive posting". The term "jello" means a large/combined EMP/ECP. This author doesn't believe this to be a useful term. Indeed, this author doesn't really believe any of these terms are useful - always call them "spam". A spam, EMP, or ECP then refers to a posting that has been posted to many places. There is a consensus that there is a point at which it is abuse, and is subject to advisory cancellation. A formula has been invented by Seth Breidbart which attempts to quantify the degree of "badness" of a spam (whether EMP or ECP) as a single number. The Breidbart Index (BI) is defined as the sum of the square roots of n (n is the number of newsgroups each copy was posted to). Example: If two copies of a posting are made, one to 9 groups, and one to 16, the BI index is sqrt(9)+sqrt(16) = 3+4 = 7. The BI2 (Breidbart Index, version 2) is an experimental metric, which may eventually replace the BI. It is calculated by computing the sum of the square roots of n, plus the sum of n, and dividing by two. Eg: one posting to 9, and one to 16 is (sqrt(9) + sqrt(16) + 9 + 16) / 2 3 + 4 + 9 + 16 = 32 / 2 = 16 The BI2 is more "aggressive" than the BI, intended to cut off the "higher end". BI allows about 125 newsgroups maximum. BI2 allows a maximum of 35. At this time, no-one is using BI2 to determine when a spam is cancellable - it is included only for additional information. The thresholds for spam cancels are based _only_ on one or more of the following measures: 1) The BI is 20 or greater over a 45 day period. 2) is a continuation of a previous EMP/ECP, within a 45 day sliding window. That is: if the articles posted within the past 45 days exceeds a BI threshold of 20, it gets removed, unless the originator has made a clear and obvious effort to cease spamming (which includes an undertaking to do so posted in news.admin.net-abuse.usenet). This includes "make money fast" schemes which passed the EMP/ECP thresholds several years ago. This author recommends one posting cross-posted to no more than 10 groups, no more often than once every two weeks (a BI of 3). A single posting cannot be cancellable - to reach a BI of 20, it would have to be cross-posted to 400 groups. This isn't possible due to limitations in Usenet software. These thresholds are applied to all hierarchies, not only the big8, but alt, bitnet, bionet, biz and regional hierarchies etc. Many hierarchies have more restrictive rules which are decided upon and enforced by their users and administrators. These cancels have nothing whatsoever to do with the contents of the message. It doesn't matter if it's an advertisement, it doesn't matter if it's abusive, it doesn't matter whether it's on-topic in the groups it was posted in, it doesn't matter whether the posting is for a "good cause" or not. Spam cancels are non-content based. They're not based on _what_ was said, they're based only on how many times it was said. Administrators wishing to ignore spam cancels cancels can "alias out" the site "cyberspam", and the cancels will not affect your system. This is normally done at your feed site, but patches are available for INN to allow you to reject spam cancels on your own system. Ask in news.admin.net-abuse.usenet if you need this patch. Further literature on posting etiquette can be found in: - the newsgroup news.announce.newusers, - "What is Usenet", by Salzenberg, Spafford and Moraes. ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet-by-group/news.answers/usenet/what-is/part1 - "What is Usenet? A second opinion.", by Vielmetti. ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet-by-group/news.answers/usenet/what-is/part2 - "FAQ: Advertising on Usenet: How To Do It, How Not To Do It" by Furr. ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet-by-group/news.answers/usenet/advertising/howto/part1 - "A Primer on How to Work With the Usenet Community", by Von Rospach, Spafford, et. al. ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet-by-group/news.answers/usenet/primer/part1 - "Rules for posting to Usenet", by Horton, Spafford & Moraes. ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet-by-group/news.answers/usenet/posting-rules/part1 - "Emily Postnews Answers Your Questions on Netiquette", by Templeton et. al. ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet-by-group/news.answers/usenet/emily-postnews/part1 - Numerous books and publications on Usenet, such as O'Reilly's "Usenet Handbook", the "Whole Internet Guide and Catalog" (Krol) etc. The above FAQs are also mirrored at various sites, including as ftp.sunet.se, mirror.aol.com, ftp.uu.net, ftp.uni-paderborn.de, nctuccca.edu.tw, hwarang.postech.ac.kr, ftp.hk.super.net etc. A mailing list has been set up to assist those wishing to post commercial advertisements on Usenet in a responsible fashion. Email your questions to commerce@acpub.duke.edu. Path: vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.erols.net!news.bbnplanet.com!cam-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.idt.net!nntp.farm.idt.net!news From: tskirvin@uiuc.edu (Tim Skirvin) Newsgroups: news.admin.net-abuse.misc Subject: cmsg cancel <5d8a9h$312@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu> Control: cancel <5d8a9h$312@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu> Date: Wed, 05 Feb 1997 11:18:01 GMT Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana Lines: 2 Message-ID: <5d9qar$8kn@nnrp1.farm.idt.net> Reply-To: tskirvin@symcom.math.uiuc.edu NNTP-Posting-Host: dialup90.bv.sgi.net X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.0.82 cancel illegal article -- Newsgroups: news.admin.net-abuse.usenet,news.admin.net-abuse.misc Followup-to: news.admin.net-abuse.usenet Subject: Re: BOYCOTT PANIX References: <5d2lea$2v6@sjx-ixn7.ix.netcom.com> <5d5l7h$auq@panix3.panix.com> <5d7jtk$mtf@bcarh8ab.bnr.ca> Reply-to: tskirvin@uiuc.edu X-Note: If you got this through mail, it was probably posted and mailed. From: tskirvin@uiuc.edu (Tim Skirvin) X-Newsreader: NN version 6.5.0 (NOV) Status: OR clewis@ferret.ocunix.on.ca (Chris Lewis) writes: >Panix.com is one hell of a lot more responsive towards ending net >abuse than netcom. If netcom doesn't want off-site stuff in >netcom.general, they're going to have to deal with it themselves. In other words, Netcom has the right to cancel anything crossposted to their own hierarchies if they so wish, but Chris isn't going to do it for them. It's That Simple. - Tim Skirvin (tskirvin@uiuc.edu) -- Skirv's Homepage <*> The Dungeon The Cancel FAQ Path: vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!cdc2.cdc.net!news.maxwell.syr.edu!metro.atlanta.com!uunet!in1.uu.net!198.174.169.7!winternet.com!worldnet.att.net!howland.erols.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!symcom.math.uiuc.edu!tskirvin From: mfrankow@winternet.com (Michael Frankowski) Newsgroups: news.admin.net-abuse.email,news.admin.net-abuse.misc,news.admin.net-abuse.usenet Subject: cmsg cancel Control: cancel Date: 21 Mar 1997 06:46:51 GMT Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana Lines: 1 Sender: tskirvin@uiuc.edu (Tim Skirvin) Approved: tskirvin@uiuc.edu (Tim Skirvin) Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: tundra.winternet.com Please cancel this article -- From tskirvin Tue Mar 18 16:19:19 1997 From: tskirvin Newsgroups: news.admin.net-abuse.email,news.admin.net-abuse.misc,news.admin.net-abuse.usenet Followup-to: news.admin.net-abuse.policy Subject: Re: news.admin.net-abuse.* Newsgroups' Documents [draft] References: <5g01rm$okb@crl2.crl.com> <332417B4.1030@NO-UCEconcentric.SPAMnet> <5g7tiq$gvu@nnrp1.digex.net> Reply-to: tskirvin@uiuc.edu X-Note: If you got this through mail, it was probably posted and mailed. From: tskirvin@uiuc.edu (Tim Skirvin) Message-ID: X-Newsreader: NN version 6.5.0 (NOV) Status: OR Stan Kalisch III writes: >> So you want to control Ricardo's free speech even at the price of censorship >> or malicious propaganda. You would fit in well with Lewis, Skirvin, and >> the rest of the bunch. >Now, Ricardo, let's be fair--I haven't seen Chris or Tim suggest I remove >your documents from the list. For what it's worth, I've got at least one of Ricardo's FAQs as a link off the main news.admin.net-abuse.* page. I probably should put on some more, but I haven't gotten around to having time for anything for a while... - Tim Skirvin (tskirvin@uiuc.edu) -- Skirv's Homepage <*> The Dungeon news.admin.net-abuse.*