Make SpamCop Fighting into a game

[spiralocean]

I think it would be inpiring to have some kind of SpamCop ranking or levels that a person can achieve by reporting spam. When spam is reported, you get spamcop points. The more points you accumulate you reach different levels. If a spammer is closed down, I don't know if spamcop can know this information, you get more points. If you report something that isn't spam, you get points deducted.

At the least it would be nice to have some statistics about how much spam has been reported on a user basis.

¢¢

[Miss Betsy]

There are some people who would enjoy the 'game' (there is at least one person who regularly checks the stats on posting this forum) and others who would like to have more information on how well reporting is working.

And it has been suggested that reporters be ranked on how accurate they are - the more accurate, the more weight on the bl.

However, I think that it won't happen because Julian seems to only be able to get the minimum done to keep the parser working well and never has time for FAQ's or other corporate duties.

Miss Betsy

[jseymour]

I think it would be inpiring to have some kind of SpamCop ranking or levels that a person can achieve by reporting spam.  When spam is reported, you get spamcop points.  The more points you accumulate you reach different levels.

Heh. I'm a fourth level spam fighter and a 1st level anti-spam advocate. With my next level, I hope to gain the Bayesian Filtering skill. It'll go well with my +1 Ring of Comprehend Nonsense.

sorry... D&D habits are hard to break...

[spiralocean]

I was hoping for a spam freedom fighter status. ;-)

If you want to see a great example of what I'm talking about, check out the Apple forums:

http://discussions.info.apple.com/

What gives this so much power is it makes people feel like they are making a difference, instead of just reporting into the SpamCop black hole and never seeing anything done about it.

I had a friend who worked at a suicide hotline. He burned out after about a year because every call that came into the hotline was someone in crisis. He would refer them but never saw a difference what he was doing. The next call would arrive in just as bad of a state.

In a system, it's called feedback. Evolution uses it. And systems that don't use it, never grow or adapt.

I mean, what is the point for me reporting all this spam? It takes more of my time to report it than to ignore it and just hit the delete key. spam hasn't reduced since I've started reporting, in fact it's increased. I can only hope that I'm changing the situation in some small way that I will never notice.

Hence, the feedback or statics or rating of SpamCop users. It allows the users to stay motivated to report the spam.

¢¢

[spiralocean]

Maybe an easier solution is a spamcop newsletter that comes out once a week with reports of how SpamCop made a difference?

[Miss Betsy]

That sounds like a good idea.

The problem is that spamcop, even after Ironport, is a one man show and Julian is not willing to delegate responsibility. spamcop is a curious mixture of volunteers and business, but although many people have volunteered to do the kind of thing you are suggesting (as well as help with FAQ) and other ways to make spamcop more interesting and intelligible, Julian never takes them up on it.

Miss Betsy

[turetzsr]

<snip>

What gives this so much power is it makes people feel like they are making a difference, instead of just reporting into the SpamCop black hole and never seeing anything done about it.

I had a friend who worked at a suicide hotline.  He burned out after about a year because every call that came into the hotline was someone in crisis.  He would refer them but never saw a difference what he was doing.  The next call would arrive in just as bad of a state.

In a system, it's called feedback.  Evolution uses it.  And systems that don't use it, never grow or adapt.

I mean, what is the point for me reporting all this spam?  It takes more of my time to report it than to ignore it and just hit the delete key.  spam hasn't reduced since I've started reporting, in fact it's increased.  I can only hope that I'm changing the situation in some small way that I will never notice.

Hence, the feedback or statics or rating of SpamCop users.  It allows the users to stay motivated to report the spam.

...This problem seems akin to the "Lighthouse problem." Quote from http://www.osmre.gov/coalex/coalex207.htm:

Nineteenth century economists spoke about the "lighthouse effect". They claimed that private investor capital would never come forward to construct a lighthouse because the benefits of a lighthouse were largely indirect ("external") and accrued only to the society at large. The builder would assume all the cost without receiving much in the way of compensation.

But we still need lighthouses, we still need suicide hotline staff and we still need spam reporters! <g>

[sundaypuncher82]

Sounds great. Although I am a "newbie"....I love to see spammers shut down. Anyone have any suggestions on how someone like me can learn more about spam and advancing at spamcop?? I have a computer information systems degree and love to learn. Thanks in advance.

Sundaypuncher82

[turetzsr]

Sounds great.  Although I am a "newbie"....I love to see spammers shut down.  Anyone have any suggestions on how someone like me can learn more about spam and advancing at spamcop?? I have a computer information systems degree and love to learn.  Thanks in advance.

Sundaypuncher82

Hi, Sundaypuncher82!

...What little I know I've learned mostly from reading the SpamCop.net newsgroups, these fora, and some of the links in the FAQs (http://www.spamcop.net/fom-serve/cache/1.html).

...Good luck!