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FYI--Recent Nasty Spams



Hello everyone,
I'm sure everyone is probably aware of the recent
sexually-oriented spams that have recently
appeared on the Listserve. (I think there must be
a full moon this week.) I'm sending along one
message I received about it, along with my reply.
I'm doing this primarily as a way to let you know
how I am handling these types of spammers, while
also to raise the issue of limiting postings to
subscribers only. Currently, this is not the case,
but I can check into the practicality of doing it
with our systems people if the Committee wishes.
Let me know if you have any questions about how
I've been handling the spams.

Thanks,
Bob Schmidt
Archives Listserve Coordinator
Miami University Archives
Oxford, Ohio 45056
513-529-6720
rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu
______________________________________________

I have received three inappropriate messages on
the Archives listserv this
week.  While I might personally find these
messages amusing, my institution
has a policy that forbids employees from using the
internet for viewing or
sending sexual materials.

I doubt that I will be fired for receiving
messages about male potency
enhancers or offers of a good time, but I think
that the list should take
steps to prevent them, as well as messages from
advertisers.  Perhaps the
ability to post should be limited to list
members?  I'm sure the list
oversight committee has other and better ideas.

Thank you.

Maxine Trost
Curator
Massachusetts Archives
220 Morrissey Blvd.
Boston MA 02125
1.617.727.2816

___________________________________________________________

REPLY

Hello Maxine,
I totally agree with you about the inappropriate
spams that have appeared on
our listserve this week. Unfortunately, there is
little I can do to prevent
first-time postings of some inappropriate
messesages. Your suggestion about
limiting postings to subscribers makes sense, but
there are times when
spammers--especially spammers of this sort of
dubious material--will subscribe
to a list just long enough to post something and
then disappear.

Normally, I will ignore a one-time spam and do
something if it appears again.
The exception is the type of blatantly offensive
spam that appeared this
morning. I have already taken steps to ban that
address from further posting. I
have also banned the "male potency" spammer who
posted twice from the uk
earlier this week. This usually will take care of
the problem. However, it is
possible that the same spammer may return later
with a totally different email
address.

I hope I have addressed your concerns. I wish
there was more I could do from my
end, but outside of the SAA hiring a full-time
moderator to screen messages
before they appear, there is really no foolproof
method for keeping all
offensive spams off the list.  In any case, I will
pass your message along to
the SAA Listserve Committee.

Sincerely,
Bob Schmidt
Archives Listserve Coordinator
Miami University Archives
Oxford, Ohio 45056
513-529-6720

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