[SpamCop-List] Re: What is munged in this report?

[Mike Easter]

Fred K wrote:
> I guess the default is munged for a new account.

Yes, I think that.

> 1. Now that I look at it, do you recommend the "mole" setting?

No.  Unless you feel uncomfortable about those who are notified getting
the normally SC 'trivially' munged report -- whereas a trivially munged
report munges the 'obvious' address of the recipient.  Those who would
be moles are uncomfortable with the fact that it is possible to encode
the identity of the recipient into the spam in 'occult' or obscure or
invisible ways, spaces between the letters, encrypted junk content.

The only way a person can eliminate all possibility that the notified
addressees can 'decrypt' the contents of the spam itself, which is
included with the report, is to eliminate the notified addressees
getting any report at all.  That is the mole report.

The 'problem' with the mole report is that currently it does not count
for anything.  Or, much of anything.  Most importantly, unlike a
'regular' report, it doesn't count toward the SCbl.  So, you might
consider it to be a 'non-report' report.

> I remember about some site in Italy that was talked about. It had an
> open list of spam reports and their email addresses.

Currently SC does not notify those dudes.

> 2.Also the tracking numbers I had figured that before. Could that be
> root of the complaint I have heard from others that they think
> reporting spam begets more spam?

I have my own theory or philosophy of how reporting spam can possibly
beget more spam.

My theory is that some small subset of people/reporters handle their
spam 'badly' in the interest of making spamcop reports.  If a person
handles spam insecurely [opening spam insecurely, eg] then their bad
spam handling causes them to get more spam than they would get if they
handled their spam securely.  Or didn't handle it at all.  So, insecure
spam handling in order to make SC reports will/can cause more spam than
no spam handling, including insecure.

> Myself I use yahoo account to LART some ISP's and toy with 419
> scammers. I do not get any spam there.

For years I manually notified from a spammed addy with no mungeing
without repercussions;  I don't consider the type of notifying that I
did to cause that spammed and unmunged reporting address trouble.

'Toying' with scammers and spammers is a sport some people play.

I consider spamfighting a sport and an educational tool.  There are many
nuances to some sports, and some of the nuances are dangerous.


-- 
Mike Easter
kibitzer, not SC admin