Help with Wikipedia Article

[turetzsr]

...The Wikipedia article on SpamCop has recently undergone some edits that seem questionable and which I have tried to fix. However, I am not entirely happy with my corrective edits. If anyone can help, either by making suggestions here or, better yet, making edits directly (with explanation and discussion on the Wikipedia SpamCop Talk page, I would very much appreciate it! Please consider registering with Wikipedia if you plan to make a direct edit and/ or add to the Talk page and do not already have a Wikipedia account.

[Farelf]

I would suggest for SpamCop is a spam reporting service, allowing recipients of unsolicited bulk email (UBE) and unsolicited commercial email (UCE) to report IP addresses found by SpamCop's analysis to be senders of the spam to the abuse reporting addresses of those IP addresses. SpamCop uses these reports to compile a list of computers sending spam called the "SpamCop Blocking List" or "SpamCop Blacklist.

SpamCop is a spam reporting service, allowing recipients of current (received within the last 48 hours) unsolicited bulk email (UBE) and current unsolicited commercial email (UCE) to report IP addresses found by SpamCop's analysis to be sources or relays of the spam to the abuse reporting addresses of those IP addresses. SpamCop uses these reports to compile a list of server IP addresses presently (within the past 24 hours) sending significant proportions of spam, called the "SpamCop Blocking List" or "SpamCop Blacklist. The list is supplemented by the inclusion of hits on SpamCop spamtraps (for which no notifications are made to the abuse reporting addresses). Separate reports, when possible, are sent to the abuse addresses of the hosts of websites referenced in the spam mailout to reporters.

That covers/reinforces the currency and limited duration of the SCbl listings right up front, the fact that following the source generally stops at the reporter's network boundary (with mailhosting) and the feature that isolated hits (except to spamtraps) are not going to cause listing - without making a big song and dance about it. Currency and early-warning are really positive features and actually constitute the SCbl "market differentiation" (except the SCbl is not commercially marketed). It also re-instates mention of the reports to the hosts of spamvertized websites, which we know is a HUGE feature for some reporters.

Incidentally, SURBL's SC list is only one of many (and probably a minor one), SC should not be represented as the sole source of the SURBL URI blacklist multi.surbl.org or anything other than sc.surbl.org (and I don't think the individual lists can even be consulted):

C:\Documents and Settings\Admin>nslookup arkartexru.ru.multi.surbl.org 8.8.8.8

Server: google-public-dns-a.google.com

Address: 8.8.8.8

Non-authoritative answer:

Name: arkartexru.ru.multi.surbl.org

Address: 127.0.0.38

Indicates SC (and others) - see http://www.surbl.org/lists. So that part of the Wikipedia entry possibly needs to be straightened out or qualified a little.

I think I would also add something like this, with a footnote:

Reporters are guided by SpamCop's definition of spam^(A) which also differentiates between spam and (unreportable) nuisance messages.

^(A) http://www.spamcop.net/fom-serve/cache/14.html

That shows that standards are imposed (and may be enforced), something the spammers seem keen to refute on those occasions they go hear-to-head and then try to paint all reporters as crazy zealots (Ѕpammer Rules #1 & #2).

[dbiel]

Thanks from bringing up this problem.

The last time I edited the Wikipedia SpamCop entry was back in July 2007, I was supprised it had been that long ago.

I will try to find some time to work on it.

You have mentioned a lot of good points that need to be worked into the article.

[turetzsr]

Hi, Steve,

...Some excellent suggestions, thanks!

<snip>

SpamCop is a spam reporting service, allowing recipients of current (received within the last 48 hours) unsolicited bulk email (UBE) and current unsolicited commercial email (UCE) to report IP addresses found by SpamCop's analysis to be sources or relays of the spam to the abuse reporting addresses of those IP addresses. SpamCop uses these reports to compile a list of server IP addresses presently (within the past 24 hours) sending significant proportions of spam, called the "SpamCop Blocking List" or "SpamCop Blacklist. The list is supplemented by the inclusion of hits on SpamCop spamtraps (for which no notifications are made to the abuse reporting addresses). Separate reports, when possible, are sent to the abuse addresses of the hosts of websites referenced in the spam mailout to reporters.

That covers/reinforces the currency and limited duration of the SCbl listings right up front, the fact that following the source generally stops at the reporter's network boundary (with mailhosting) and the feature that isolated hits (except to spamtraps) are not going to cause listing - without making a big song and dance about it.

<snip>

...Agreed; my only reservation is that this might be a bit too much detail for a "first bite" for many. But everything you mention seems to me to belong in the article somewhere.

...Between Dennis and I (assuming you prefer to not chime in personally), we'll come up with something, I'm sure!

[Farelf]

Yes, take it from there guys, I will stay out of Wikipedia. I guess the Wikipedia entry should be aiming at a grade 5-6 reading level or thereabouts for this sort of article. Shorter sentences and more paragraphs, any technical words/concepts hyperlinked to the corresponding (pre-existing) Wikipedia entry for expansion as required and watch for consistency (email always email, not sometimes/someplaces e-mail - or vice-versa - etc.).