spam too old

[MyNameHere]

This has happened a couple of times in the past few days (since the system upgrade last week).

First, I need to say that I have faithfully submitted my spam by forwarding it to my SpamCop reporting address at least once, often multiple times per day. Then I have faithfully looped through each one to report it, at least once and sometimes multiple times per day. Each time, the system told me there was no more spam to report.

This morning, after forwarding another batch, I went to the reporting site and the first spam message said it was "too old" (3 days). I decided to look it up. Yes, I received it 3 days ago, and I found the confirmation that SpamCop had received it 3 days ago, and there is no way I failed to report it within the first day, unless SpamCop somehow lost it.

I don't think posting the link makes any difference, because you'll just have to take my word that I completely processed all the spam reports I was shown for the past 3 days. Even so, here it is:

http://www.spamcop.net/sc?id=z5552014500zf...3bb251fbaa99f6z

And, as I said, this is not the only one.

So I think the SpamCop reporting system is losing some of the forwarded spam for a while, then finding it again--or something like that.

[SpamCopAdmin]

I don't know what to say. This is the first time I have heard of this. You are the only one reporting the issue.

- Don D'Minion - SpamCop Admin -

- Service[at]Admin.SpamCop.net -

.

[Lking]

I don't see the problem. when I look at the dates in the header in the link, for example

Received: by web.eixush.net (Postfix, from userid 68)

id PL74C51879F; Fri, 23 Aug 2013 07:00:15 +0500

they seem to be all from last Friday.

Of course those dates reflect when the spam was sent and processed, not when you received it. So if the spam got delayed in a cue somewhere in your server it could be 3 days old by the time you received and reported it. The fact that you have several "over 3 days old" today could confirm that your mail server got several emails stuck and only coughed them up today.

Although our experience is counter to the fact, the email system is asynchronous communication. -- 'Peas porridge in the pot "3" days old', is not unheard of.

[MyNameHere]

...if the spam got delayed in a cue somewhere in your server it could be 3 days old by the time you received and reported it. The fact that you have several "over 3 days old" today could confirm that your mail server got several emails stuck and only coughed them up today.

I don't see how that is relevant. How does SpamCop know how old the spam is? I assume it would go with the header's received dates, all of which say 23 Aug; there are no other dates I can see in there. My point is, the received date (23 Aug) is the date that I submitted it. It's in my trash folder in that chronological location, and I deleted it immediately after submitting it. But for some reason, SpamCop didn't offer it to me to report until today. So it was 3 days old because of the delay between the time I got (and submitted) it and the time SpamCop queued it up for me to report.

An alternative hypothesis is that SpamCop did let me report it 3 days ago but "forgot" and offered it up again after it was too old.

[turetzsr]

Hi, MyNameHere,

...Here's what I'd suggest (if you have the inclination to go through all the effort):

• Keep track of the spam you submit to SpamCop from this point onwards, noting down crucial data such as Subject, Internet Header date/time "received" by the e-mail server of your provider and date/time you submitted to SpamCop. Also, keep a copy of each spam you report.
  
• Make note of date/time you pull up each spam for processing.
  
• For any that appear to incorrectly say "too old," send a copy of the spams as attachment along with your recorded data to the SpamCop Deputies (deputies[at]admin.spamcop.net) and ask them to research.
  

[MyNameHere]

Thanks! I started saving data like that--I guess we're thinking alike.

[turetzsr]

...Well, that makes me concerned for your sanity. <g>