Introduction
SPAM has been a pervasive problem since the inception of email. Numerous methodologies are utilized to defeat it (i.e., keep it from reaching its intended recipients).
This page presents the problems and the solutions and how they inform us as to which of these solutions might have applicability to stamping out online intellectual property theft.
- Anti-spam techniques: The U.S. Department of Energy Computer Incident Advisory Capability (CIAC) has provided specific countermeasures against electronic mail spamming. Some popular methods for filtering and refusing spam include e-mail filtering based on the content of the e-mail, DNS-based blackhole lists (DNSBL), greylisting, spamtraps, Enforcing technical requirements of e-mail (SMTP), checksumming systems to detect bulk email, and by putting some sort of cost on the sender via a Proof-of-work system or a micropayment. Each method has strengths and weaknesses and each is controversial because of its weaknesses. For example, one company offers for "removing some spamtrap and honeypot addresses" from email lists, defeating the ability of those methods for identifying spammers.1
Notice how Google markets its spam blocker "Google's innovative technology":2
Yahoo is equally proud of their SPAM blocking. Click here for info.
Summary
The point of all this is that anti-spam is very effective in blocking some 98-99% of all spam email (read about a representative spam blocking technology and its results here). It takes lots of effort and money to do and is a war that's been going on for some two decades, but spam blocking can be done, is being done and is almost 100% effective in blocking unwanted emails from reaching our inboxes.
Many of the same technologies and approaches can be AND SHOULD BE used to stop online IP piracy.
Just in case you need further persuading on how good spam interdiction is these days, take a look at the chart below:
3.
Sources
- SPAM-Blocking Testing Site: VBSpam
- More Anti-spam Techniques
- What is a "DNSBL"
- SPAM Blocking Methods
- XRoads SPAM Blocking Approach
- "Greylisting"
- DPI Is Not A Four-Letter Word
- BreakingPoint Spam DPI Procedures
- DPI Mote Than About Just Ads
- Barbed Wire DPI Stops 93% of SPAM
- Ten Spam Stopping Techniques
