Educara SPAM Filter
Frequently Asked Questions
Educara Email supports SPAM filtering via the DSPAM application which runs on the Educara Email server. This system provides a trainable, highly accurate anti-SPAM protection at zero cost.
Please use the following Frequently Asked Questions to assist in using the Educara SPAM Filter. If you require further assistance, please email support@educara.com or call 1-888-833-8227.
NOTE: unless you are under contract with Educara for Enhanced Support services, some fees may apply to telephone support. Support via email is free to all customers with Educara email accounts. If you have no alternate email system, please use the Support Request form at http://www.educara.com/educara.cgi/support.html .
- What is SPAM?
- What is SPAM filtering?
- How accurate is the Educara Email SPAM filter?
- What is required to use the SPAM filter? How do I use the filter?
- What if the filter misses a SPAM message?
- What if the filter grabs a message by mistake?
- How do I disable the filter?
- What if the filter loses my email?
- I emptied my Trash, but I still have SPAM — why isn't this filter working?
1. What is SPAM?
SPAM is also known as Unsolicited Commercial Email (UCE). The term SPAM comes from an ancient Monty Python skit involving a certain variety of canned meat product ordered in a repetitive manner by ravenous Englishmen (some dressed as Vikings), in a restaraunt whose chef simply cannot conceive of a recipe not containing the delicacy. SPAM messages frequently contain subject matter unbecoming to a business environment, not to mention possibly dangerous program code disguised as ads for beauty aids or discount pharmaceuticals, or worse. Frequently nasty stuff.
2. What is SPAM filtering?
SPAM filtering is the process of removing the offending repetitive messages from your email Inbox. There are many methodologies for accomplishing this task. Some SPAM filters rely upon statistical analysis or pattern matching of the message contents against previous message samples. Educara uses the DSPAM system, a highly accurate, "trainable" filter which is personalized to your specific email traffic contents automatically. DSPAM performs its services on the Educara email server, so the excess messages never reach your local system unless you specifically retrieve them.
3. How accurate is the Educara Email SPAM filter?
DSPAM's authors claim that the system can learn to be well in excess of 99.9% accurate. Your mileage may vary depending upon the exact nature of the SPAM you receive and how well you train the filter. Our experience in using DSPAM for several months is that once trained it is INCREDIBLY accurate. Put simply, WE LIKE IT!!!4. What is required to use the SPAM filter? How do I use the filter?
All you need to use the Educara Email SPAM filter is an email client program configured to use the IMAP4 protocol to retrieve messages from a valid Educara Email user account. See your email client program Help for specific information on configuration of IMAP4 account profiles.
When you log into the Educara Email server with your email client program, you will see several new folders. SPAM, MARK, UNMARK, and VIRUS folders will appear in the Inbox tree as subscribed folders in your IMAP4 account — you must use IMAP4 in your email client program account profile to get these features. If you have an existing IMAP4 account but these folders do not appear you can reconfigure your email client program quickly to display these folders. See your email client program Help for specific information on configuration of IMAP4 account profiles.
DSPAM works by analyzing each individual message received by the server and comparing its contents to samples of known SPAM messages BEFORE each message is delivered to your Inbox. If a message matches the statistical model derived by DSPAM, it filters the message to the SPAM folder in your email account.
There are really only two critical tasks you need to perform while using DSPAM:
- check the SPAM folder frequently for false positives and move them to the UNMARK folder
- check the Inbox frequently for missed SPAM and drag any such messages to the MARK folder
Our experience dictates that if you will follow those two simple rules daily for one month DSPAM will be remarkably effective.
Top5. What if the filter misses a SPAM message?
If you see messages in your Inbox which DSPAM does not recognize as SPAM, you need to drag these messages to the MARK folder in your email account. Several times per hour DSPAM will check your MARK folder and analyze its contents, then move any messages there to the SPAM folder. This is how DSPAM learns what your specific requirements are for SPAM recognition.
How fast DSPAM learns is directly proportional to how much email you receive, what the ratio of good to SPAM email is for you personally, and several other unpredictable factors. We urge you to give DSPAM at least one month to optimize its filtering to your specific needs.
6. What if the filter grabs a good message by mistake?
If DSPAM gets overly aggressive, or you mark a message by mistake, look in the SPAM folder and drag the messages to the UNMARK folder in your email account. DSPAM will scan messages in the UNMARK folder several times an hour and analyze the messages in order to better understand what types of email you want to recieve.
NOTE: while DSPAM is learning your particular email needs, it may misfile some messages you want in the SPAM folder. You need to tell DSPAM if it makes a mistake by moving such messages to the UNMARK folder so it can learn your personal email requirements. We have found it is useful to check the SPAM folder frequently for the first two weeks or so, then DSPAM will typically be well in excess of 99% effective. Remember, how fast DSPAM learns is directly proportional to how much email you receive, what the ratio of good to SPAM email is for you personally, and several other unpredictable factors. We urge you to give DSPAM at least one month to optimize its filtering to your specific needs.
7. How do I disable the filter?
You can't, but Educara can. If you really don't want to use DSPAM then contact Educara Support and we will disable it at no charge. If you change your mind later, we will be happy to re-enable DSPAM at your request. There may be subsequent service fees for additional reconfigurations.
8. What if the filter loses my email?
DSPAM can't lose email, because it doesn't delete it, it just moves it from your Inbox to another folder — the SPAM folder. Messages filtered by DSPAM will stay in the SPAM folder until you delete them.
If you move messages to the MARK or UNMARK folder, it may take up to 15 minutes for them to reappear in your Inbox or the SPAM folder as is applicable.
NOTE: while DSPAM is learning your particular email needs, it may misfile some messages you want in the SPAM folder. You need to tell DSPAM if it makes a mistake by moving such messages to the UNMARK folder so it can learn your personal email requirements. We have found it is useful to check the SPAM folder frequently for the first two weeks or so, then DSPAM will typically be well in excess of 99% effective. Remember, how fast DSPAM learns is directly proportional to how much email you receive, what the ratio of good to SPAM email is for you personally, and several other unpredictable factors. We urge you to give DSPAM at least one month to optimize its filtering to your specific needs.
9. I emptied my Trash, but I still have SPAM — why isn't this filter working?
DSPAM doesn't move SPAM to the Trash — it doesn't have permission to destroy even unsolicited messages. To empty your SPAM folder, select any or all of the messages in that folder and use the same command to move them to the Trash as you would in your Inbox (consult your email client program Help if you don't know how).