[SpamCop-List] Re: Wondering about how SpamCop works

[John E. Malmberg]

Patty wrote:
> I work with a private mail list.  This mail list is for members only
> and is used for the discussion of a specific medical condition.  It
> appears, from what I have been told by our Systems Administrator,
> that we have a disgruntled member who evidently cannot figure out how
> to unsubscribe (which is posted in every email sent) so they are
> forwarding our emails to SpamCop and complaining about it being spam.
> 
Does the Systems Administrator have proof of this, or are they guessing?

Most of the time that a legitimate mail source is listed by spamcop.net,
there is a problem that the owner is not aware of, or the owner has
deliberately done something to be in non-compliance with the rest of the
internet e-mail system, usually in an attempt for spam control.

Please post the I.P. address involved so that the various posters here
can do checks on the many internet archives and other data to help
determine what is really happening.

There are a lot of people spreading incorrect information about how
blacklisting services work.

<snip>
> I'm wondering how SpamCop determines if a complaint is truly spam or
> not.

It does not make any determination.  It just uses statistics based on 
mail output measured from several sources compared to the amount of reports.

It is possible for a user to incorrectly report a mailing list and get 
it listed, but it is rare.

>  From the way it looks, I could report ANY mail server IP
> address as being spam and SpamCop would then blacklist them.

It would be difficult for you to do that unless you managed to set up 
multiple reporting accounts and you also were receiving e-mail from the 
mail servers that you were trying to get listed.

> Doesn't seem right to me.

It does not seem like you have been give correct information.  I hope 
that you will find out the correct information and help counter the 
incorrect information that you have been given.

-John
wb8tyw at qsl.network
Personal Opinion Only