Two Spam Filters 10 Times As Accurate As Humans

Two Spam Filters 10 Times As Accurate As Humans 487

Posted by timothy on Monday February 23, 2004 @09:13PM from the dev/null-is-getting-fatter dept.

Nuclear Elephant writes "The authors of two spam filters, CRM114 and DSPAM, announced recently that their filters have achieved accuracy rates ten times better than a human is capable of. Based on a study by Bill Yerazunis of CRM114, the average human is only 99.84% accurate. Both filters are reporting to have reached accuracy levels between 99.983% and 99.984% (1 misclassification in 6250 messages) using completely different approaches (CRM114 touts Markovan, while DSPAM implements a Dolby-type noise reduction algorithm called Dobly). If you're looking for a way to rid spam from your inbox, roll on over to one of these authors' websites."

Two Spam Filters 10 Times As Accurate As Humans

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Outclassed... (Score:5, Funny)

by Klatoo55 ( 726789 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @09:14PM (#8368802) Homepage

I'm sorry, Dave... That Nigerian guy looks suspicious and I can't let you send him money.

Who is sending that one? (Score:5, Funny)

by ObviousGuy ( 578567 ) writes: <ObviousGuy@hotmail.com> on Monday February 23, 2004 @09:16PM (#8368820) Homepage Journal

If your email is indistuinguishable from spam by a human, perhaps the problem isn't the receiver. It's the sender.

Forgive me if I don't feel any pity that some moron's email gets filtered to the junk bin because I couldn't discern it from spam.

To get this new spam filter... (Score:5, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @09:16PM (#8368827)

Just enter a valid email address, and hit submit!

less thought for me... (Score:3, Funny)

by Digitus1337 ( 671442 ) writes: <lk_digitus AT hotmail DOT com> on Monday February 23, 2004 @09:18PM (#8368852) Homepage

...and only one locked pod bay door per 6250, I like those odds.

Hmmmm (Score:5, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @09:20PM (#8368882)

Probably used those same people who open viruses as test subjects.

i tend to think... (Score:3, Funny)

by caino59 ( 313096 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @09:21PM (#8368886) Homepage

that i'm 100% accurate.

maybe some of those people just dont know where their 'del' key is, or what it does...

Re:Depends... (Score:1, Funny)

by DoctorCool ( 700514 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @09:21PM (#8368890)

None of my mail is spam! I take the penis enlargment and brest enhancement very seriously.

Re:2+2=3 (Score:2, Funny)

by Deraj DeZine ( 726641 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @09:22PM (#8368909)

Yeah, "10 times better" should be 998.4%, right?

And that's impossible. No one can give more than one hundred percent. By definition that is the most anyone can give

actually (Score:5, Funny)

by Digitus1337 ( 671442 ) writes: <lk_digitus AT hotmail DOT com> on Monday February 23, 2004 @09:22PM (#8368913) Homepage

it's not that humans are not as accurate, it's that 1 in X times we really do want a mini camera or free porn. It is what seperates us from those cold, heartless machines.... mini cameras and porn....

News story Headline (Score:3, Funny)

by tacokill ( 531275 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @09:23PM (#8368926)

My Machine outhinks me!!"

I've seen better stories in Highlights for Children

*slams head against wall* (Score:5, Funny)

by Faust7 ( 314817 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @09:24PM (#8368932) Homepage

I received an email from my sister-in-law from her work

Yeah, so did I. The subject line was "I want you so bad."

I deleted it. Turned out the message was genuine. I'll never forgive myself...

Re:can it be used with SA? (Score:2, Funny)

by Neil Blender ( 555885 ) writes: <neilblender@gmail.com> on Monday February 23, 2004 @09:28PM (#8368976)

can this be used with Spamassasin, or is a stand alone program? Does it need something like Amasis to run?

I'd tell you, but I'm not 100% sure.

Re:actually (Score:2, Funny)

by Deraj DeZine ( 726641 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @09:31PM (#8369006)

What about that 1 in 6250 for the automated filters? Your computer might be spying on you at this very moment!

This is indeed a disturbing development.

Spinal Tap? (Score:2, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @09:40PM (#8369081)

Hasn't anybody noticed the obvious Spinal Tap reference?

Jeanine: You know, it might have been better if the, uh, album had been mixed right.
David: Well I suppose you could cry about that, of course it's true. I mean it's true.
Jeanine: It wasn't...it was mixed all wrong, wasn't it?
Nigel: It was mixed wrong?
Jeanine: Yeah....
Nigel: Were you there?
Jeanine: ...you couldn't hear the...
Nigel: How do you know it was mixed wrong?
David: But she's...she's heard the...she's heard the record.
Jeanine: No, but I've heard the album.
Nigel: So you're judgement is that it was mixed wrong.
Jeanine: You couldn't hear the lyrics all over it.
David: You don't agree that you can't hear the
vocals?
Nigel: No, I don't. I do not agree. No.
David: Well I think maybe....
Nigel: It's interesting that she's bringing it up.
David: Well she'd like to hear the vocals.
Nigel: I mean it's like it's me saying, you know, you're using the wrong conditioner for your hair.
David: Don't be stupid.
Jeanine: You don't, you don't do heavy metal in
dobly, you know, I Mean...it's
Nigel: In what??? In what???
Jeanine: In dobly...
Nigel: In dublin!?! What's that?
David: She means Dolby, alright? She means
dolby, you know? You know perfectly well what she means.

This spam filter goes to 11!

This spam goes up to 11... (Score:2, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @09:40PM (#8369082)

DSPAM implements a Dolby-type noise reduction algorithm called Dobly

Despite the musical reference on the DSPAM site [nuclearelephant.com], I figured some people still won't get the joke. So here it is:

JEANINE: You don't- you don't do heavy metal in dobly, you know, I mean...it's-- NIGEL: In what??? In what??? JEANINE: In dobly... NIGEL (GRINS): In doubly!?! What's that? DAVID: She means Dolby, alright? She means Dolby, you know? You know perfectly well what she means.

--from the movie "Spinal Tap"

Re:Huh? Aren't humans 100%? (Score:3, Funny)

by helzerr ( 232770 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @09:44PM (#8369124) Homepage

To these people, a computer is merely an interesting string of sensations.
Best phrase I've read all week... Oh, yeah, it's only Monday! This one will probably hold me over 'till Friday, though. ;-)

Re:*slams head against wall* (Score:5, Funny)

by Bendebecker ( 633126 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @09:48PM (#8369165) Journal

If you can't forgive yourself, I'll forgive you... as soon as I recieve your sister-in-law's email address.

Don't worry (Score:4, Funny)

by sik0fewl ( 561285 ) writes: <xxdigitalhellxx@ ... m ['hot' in gap]> on Monday February 23, 2004 @09:50PM (#8369177) Homepage

Don't worry, I can forward you the one she sent me. Sounds like the same email.

Re:Huh? Aren't humans 100%? (Score:4, Funny)

by queen of everything ( 695105 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @09:50PM (#8369189)

I work with some people who use their computer every single day. Have had an email address for years, who still buys what they read in an email. Photoshop for $50...sure! Herbal viagra...why not?

Well, she always has a big smile on her face, maybe there's something to this spam thing.

Re:Huh? Aren't humans 100%? (Score:5, Funny)

by rixstep ( 611236 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @09:52PM (#8369202) Homepage

Lots of people don't know what popups are.

Uh, sure they do. Popups - that's like those porn storms, isn't it? Some people say it only happens with IE and Windows, but I talked to my service provider and they told me 'just pull the power plug out of the wall when that happens'.

Easily fixed.

The CRM114? (Score:4, Funny)

by tramm ( 16077 ) writes: <hudson@swcp.com> on Monday February 23, 2004 @10:00PM (#8369265) Homepage

I bet it allows messages from General Jack D Ripper [imdb.com] or any email that contains the secret phrase "purity of essence", "peace on earth" or "precious bodily fluids".

Re:Huh? Aren't humans 100%? (Score:5, Funny)

by Trejkaz ( 615352 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @10:00PM (#8369266) Homepage

Presumably they must use a superhuman who has 100.00% accuracy.

Re:Huh? Aren't humans 100%? (Score:2, Funny)

by Stunning Tard ( 653417 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @10:02PM (#8369283) Journal

Maybe it's the %0.16 of people who are responding to spam.

Better filter AND make money too ! (Score:2, Funny)

by PHPhD2B ( 675590 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @10:13PM (#8369382)

I have developed a spam filter that is 100 percent (ONE HUNDRED PER CENT) effective at deleting Unwanted Messages.
In addition, every user will get special discounts on software, mp3s and computer parts with my partners, and two FREE MP3'S every month.
There are also special savings on 100% all-natural and effective male enhancement products. A portion of the rebates will go towards a $100000 fund needed to get 100,000,000 dollars (ONE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS) from Liberia into an account in Switzerland. If you provide your social security number (SSN) and your checking and savings account number you will get part of the ONE HUNDRED MILLION US DOLLARS. Only the first 100 people will qualify, so hurry up and don't miss this offer!

Markovan (Score:1, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @10:18PM (#8369431)

When the Markovan is rockin', don't come a-knockin'...

Ah yes. Misspelling an adjective describing the general procedure, and *then* mistaking that misspelling for the actual *name* of the algorithm. Always nice to see the intelligence of submitters at work!

Re:Huh? Aren't humans 100%? (Score:4, Funny)

by Pieroxy ( 222434 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @10:31PM (#8369545) Homepage

I have never deleted an email I meant to keep

How could you possibly know? You deleted it!!

Re:Huh? Aren't humans 100%? (Score:4, Funny)

by SLot ( 82781 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @10:32PM (#8369563) Homepage Journal

Then megacorp could sue spammer into oblivion.

Or more likely, megacorp fires it's mail administrators for being incompetent and goes on about it's business.

Re:Could somebody explain this to me... (Score:2, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @10:54PM (#8369737)

I used dellorders@mydomain.com for an order from Dell, and NEVER used it or even typed it anywhere again, and started get spam about 6 months later, and I mean the nasty stuff, no just innocent stuff from Dell resellers...

You probably ticked off "Eric" the Indian tech. I talked to that guy yesterday. What a jerk.

Re:Huh? Aren't humans 100%? (Score:5, Funny)

by Marvin_OScribbley ( 50553 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @10:57PM (#8369748) Homepage Journal

I talked to my service provider and they told me 'just pull the power plug out of the wall when that happens'.

Ok, now the screen dimmed a little and I heard the hard drive spin down, but the pop ups are still a comin! Oh, and something about "battery level at 98%" or something.

Re:Help setting this up (Score:2, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @11:06PM (#8369814)

would love to rtfm, but I want a fairly simple answer to this, how can I do a 30 minute job of integrating this into the mozilla mail client, or does it have to be tied into the server itself? I was wondering if this was a quick, easy fix, or if it is an all weekend type of project.

Most likely it will take at least as long as reading an article. So you might as well not bother.

Re:*slams head against wall* (Score:5, Funny)

by maddskillz ( 207500 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @11:09PM (#8369829)

If it was your sister-in-law sending you that subject line, you probably did the right thing and deleted it

Re:Huh? Aren't humans 100%? (Score:5, Funny)

by ergean ( 582285 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @11:11PM (#8369848) Journal

There goes my bussines idea. I wanted to start a bussines that puts humans in an eastern europe contry to sort corporate e-mail.

Now I have to think again about putting humans to decorticate sunflower seeds, it's cheper than all those machines.

Re:Huh? Aren't humans 100%? (Score:5, Funny)

by Fnkmaster ( 89084 ) * writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @11:42PM (#8370074)

Well, she always has a big smile on her face, maybe there's something to this spam thing.

You mean you've never noticed this before? Idiots are some of the happiest people I know.

Re:X-CRM114-code-prefix: OPE (Score:2, Funny)

by ajlitt ( 19055 ) writes: on Monday February 23, 2004 @11:48PM (#8370130)

Please give this man a drink of grain alcohol and rainwater.

It _can't_ know which pr0n I think is spam vs good (Score:5, Funny)

by ron_ivi ( 607351 ) writes: <sdotno@cheapcomp ... m ['ces' in gap]> on Tuesday February 24, 2004 @01:34AM (#8370767)

I signed up for lots of junk mail lists; some solicited, some not -- sometimes from the same organizations.
How would it know if I consider brunettes non-spam but blondes spam? I did opt-in for one of those email categories, but not the other.

10 times...? (Score:2, Funny)

by holizz ( 737615 ) writes: on Tuesday February 24, 2004 @09:23AM (#8372422) Homepage

If humans are 99.84% accurate and these filters are ten times as accurate, wouldn't that make these filters 998.4% accurate or am I missing something?

There may be more comments in this discussion. Without JavaScript enabled, you might want to turn on Classic Discussion System in your preferences instead.

Outclassed... (Score:5, Funny)

Who is sending that one? (Score:5, Funny)

To get this new spam filter... (Score:5, Funny)

less thought for me... (Score:3, Funny)

Hmmmm (Score:5, Funny)

i tend to think... (Score:3, Funny)

Re:Depends... (Score:1, Funny)

Re:2+2=3 (Score:2, Funny)

actually (Score:5, Funny)

News story Headline (Score:3, Funny)

*slams head against wall* (Score:5, Funny)

Re:can it be used with SA? (Score:2, Funny)

Re:actually (Score:2, Funny)

Spinal Tap? (Score:2, Funny)

This spam goes up to 11... (Score:2, Funny)

Re:Huh? Aren't humans 100%? (Score:3, Funny)

Re:*slams head against wall* (Score:5, Funny)

Don't worry (Score:4, Funny)

Re:Huh? Aren't humans 100%? (Score:4, Funny)

Re:Huh? Aren't humans 100%? (Score:5, Funny)

The CRM114? (Score:4, Funny)

Re:Huh? Aren't humans 100%? (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Huh? Aren't humans 100%? (Score:2, Funny)

Better filter AND make money too ! (Score:2, Funny)

Markovan (Score:1, Funny)

Re:Huh? Aren't humans 100%? (Score:4, Funny)

Re:Huh? Aren't humans 100%? (Score:4, Funny)

Re:Could somebody explain this to me... (Score:2, Funny)

Re:Huh? Aren't humans 100%? (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Help setting this up (Score:2, Funny)

Re:*slams head against wall* (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Huh? Aren't humans 100%? (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Huh? Aren't humans 100%? (Score:5, Funny)

Re:X-CRM114-code-prefix: OPE (Score:2, Funny)

It _can't_ know which pr0n I think is spam vs good (Score:5, Funny)

10 times...? (Score:2, Funny)

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