Spam

LearnAsSpam folder

How it works

• You create a folder in your email account called LearnAsSpam
• Any mail you are sure is spam you drop into this folder
• Every night, the server searches all the mailboxes for anyone with a LearnAsSpam folder
  • The server trains the spam filter using all the mails it finds in LearnAsSpam folders
  • If the server trained on a LearnAsSpam folder, it also trains the ham (mail that it not spam) filter using mail from the Sent folder of the same account
  • The server will then remove all mail in the LearnAsSpam folder

Should you use it?

• Training spam filters incorrectly will detrimentally affect all users
• It is very important that only spam goes into this folder
  • This means you should not rely on another spam filter to put mail in this folder for you
• Putting legitimate mail in this folder will cause the Spam Filters to start marking legitimate mail as spam
  • Please Don't Do This
• Putting a NewsLetter or Advertisement that you subscribed to and no longer want is inappropriate
  • Doing so will cause the Spam Filters to start marking that and other NewsLetters or Advertisments as spam for other users
  • If you signed up for it, it is technically legitimate mail. You should get yourself unsubscribed
  • If you once wanted NewsLetters and Advertisements, then probably others on the server still want them
    • Spam often looks like a NewsLetter or Advertisments, so it is very important legitimate NewsLetters and Advertisements do not get Learned As Spam
• You should use the LearnAsSpam folder if:
  • You are receiving more than 5 spam in a day
  • If other members of your organization are getting more than 5 spam in a day
    • The more people who contribute Spam mails, the more data the Filters will have to work with, and the more accurate the filtering will be
  • You want a somewhat personalized Spam Filter
    • By showing the server your spam, you are training it to filter your spam
    • This is the best tool for you to stop spam before it reaches your computer

How to use it

• Create a subfolder of your Inbox and call it LearnAsSpam
  • Capitalization matters. it is LearnAsSpam, not learnasspam
  • It must be exactly one level below the Inbox
• When you encounter a spam mail in your inbox, move it to the LearnAsSpam folder
  • Note:all mail in this folder will be automatically removed every night.
  • And Please Note:Do not put legitimate mail in this folder
    • We do not want to teach the spam filter that legitimate mail is spam.

What Results are expected?

• It can take quite a few emails before you see anything
  • In some cases, you will put in 20-30 spams of a certain flavour, then never see them again
  • In other cases, you can put in thousands of spam of a different flavour before you see results
    • This is why the more people who participate the better the results will be
  • If you don't see results right away, don't be too discouraged.
    • If you are the only training on a certain kind of spam, it might take several weeks before the server has enough data to reliably filter it