SUBJECT:  SERVICES FOR MANAGING ELECTRONIC MAIL "SPAM"

Recognizing that large amounts of "spam" (unwanted commercial email) has an adverse effect on the UCSD community, Academic Computing Services/Network Operations, after months of testing, is pleased to announce a spam management service for UCSD.

ACS/Network Operations has implemented the SpamAssassin software package, which uses a set of heuristics and tests to assign a "spam score" to each email message. All mail to UCSD email addresses which passes through the central email processing machines is now marked with a score which represents how likely that piece of mail is to be spam. UCSD email users can then use the 'filter' capacity of their mail readers to redirect high-scoring messages into a separate folder, where they can be viewed at the reader's convenience.

We have been able to expand the mail processing system and to demonstrate that this scanning and marking can take place without an appreciable delay in mail to campus customers. Scanning delays the delivery of most mail messages by less than 30 seconds.

This service is being provided automatically and at no extra charge as a part of the Next Generation Network at UCSD. Customers who do not wish any change in their email need not take any action. Those who wish to take advantage of the ability to filter can learn how in a variety of ways:

ONLINE DOCUMENTATION:

Documentation for filtering spam in eight popular email clients, as well as other information about the spam-marking process, is available at:

http://www-no.ucsd.edu/documentation/spam/

TRAINING SESSIONS:

Four initial training sessions for Windows users on "Managing Spam at UCSD" have been scheduled. The presenter will be Diem Nguyen of ACS/Network Operations. It is not necessary to sign up for these training sessions, but you may wish to arrive early to ensure a seat.