[WriteLog] Problem With Reflector EXPOSED!!!

[Eric Hilding]

Dear WriteLog "Reflector" users:

I have discovered several problems here with the WriteLog "Reflector" which 
may affect others in the future as well.

The FAQ needs immediate revision for us new subscribers getting 1,000+ spam 
emails per day which necessitates EXTENSIVE filtering to be able to survive 
in CyberSpace.

1.  When I subscribed to:  writelog at contesting.com  I set up a special 
Unix-based filter to siphon ANY mail FROM writelog at contesting.com TO a 
special mailbox.

2.  I just discovered several WriteLog posts (misc. topics) which ended up 
in a V - i - r - u - s  trap mailbox, so there appears to be some garbage 
getting attached to some of the posts via the contesting.com mailserver or 
en route.

3. The posts did NOT come "FROM" contesting.com, therefore my filter:    * 
^ From:.*writelog at .*contesting.com  could not even work, and the actual 
delivery is NOT to my 'subscribed' email domain address, but rather my ISP 
user domain address (this is an irritating problem with archaic 'mailing 
list subscription' programs.

4. My anti-spam filtering will NOT allow individual replies, which is why 
any 'mailing lists' subscribed require a domain-specific filter to be set up.

5. Whoever is in charge of the FAQ should add (in RED) specific info that 
mail to be RECEIVED FROM the list will come as TO: writelog at contesting.com 
and not FROM writelog at contesting.com and to set filters accordingly 
(hopefully, this will help some other poor soul).  As more and more net 
users are forced to resort to heavier levels of anti-spam filtering, I see 
this becoming a major problem for many new subscribers.

6. IMHO, "Forum Boards" are a much more state-of-the-art way to go (as used 
by many major software firms for support purposes)... like the Invision 
Power Board, PHPBB, etc., and also provide for specialty categories by 
topics, etc., etc. AND ... the ability to send Private Messages 
w-i-t-h-o-u-t having to involve email at all.  So much easier and 
efficient.  You can see an example at:  http://www.invisionboard.com ...

7. My apologies for any multiple posts, and if anyone replied to me 
directly and got one of my infamous nasty "bounce" messages, or it will 
just be auto-NUKED and I will never see it.  So sorry...but at 1,000+ 
pieces of spam per day, it is the only way I can handle the volume of crap 
and forgeries.

Thank you very much.

73,

Eric Hilding - K6VVA