Spam levels.
I've been reading a limited range of Usenet groups since the late 1980s, and until the recent problems in comp.lang.python had never bothered with any sort of filtering; it's easier just to ignore people. However, the sheer volume of spam in comp.lang.python finally defeated me, so I set up a filter in my leafnode NNTP server, which pulls from eternal-september and gmane (read-only). The results for the last few weeks are below: Jan 20 15:34:39 comp.lang.python: 50 articles fetched, 71 killed Jan 21 14:21:30 comp.lang.python: 25 articles fetched, 18 killed Jan 26 13:04:40 comp.lang.python: 85 articles fetched, 276 killed Jan 28 22:58:42 comp.lang.python: 83 articles fetched, 184 killed Jan 29 16:07:11 comp.lang.python: 41 articles fetched, 52 killed Jan 30 16:57:03 comp.lang.python: 57 articles fetched, 56 killed Jan 31 16:52:01 comp.lang.python: 39 articles fetched, 87 killed Feb 1 16:02:49 comp.lang.python: 39 articles fetched, 73 killed Feb 2 14:39:46 comp.lang.python: 43 articles fetched, 57 killed Feb 3 18:17:55 comp.lang.python: 19 articles fetched, 108 killed Feb 4 15:28:03 comp.lang.python: 36 articles fetched, 122 killed Feb 5 15:26:08 comp.lang.python: 45 articles fetched, 79 killed Feb 6 16:29:40 comp.lang.python: 68 articles fetched, 93 killed Feb 7 16:43:26 comp.lang.python: 32 articles fetched, 118 killed Feb 8 16:01:14 comp.lang.python: 41 articles fetched, 100 killed Feb 9 17:06:09 comp.lang.python: 47 articles fetched, 201 killed giving the totals: Kept: 750 articles Killed: 1695 articles Until the last few days the spammers were using a fixed format, but recently I've had to play whack-a-mole with filtering, so the Killed total is probably underestimated by ten or twenty posts. No other groups (in the limited set which I read) have the problem, and I don't understand why the spammers neither spam a range of groups, nor change their adddresses more frequently. It may be that destroying comp.lang.python is their actual objective. Either way, a depressing state of affairs. Will -- "As democracy is perfected, the office of the president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day, the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be occupied by a downright fool and a complete narcissistic moron." -- H. L. Mencken. -- https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
Respam levels.
Having run a check for straightforward spam, I now find that there's a site editing and reposting non-spam posts. An example of the changed headers follows: Original post headers: > > From [email protected] Sun Feb 11 23:23:22 2018 > Path: > eternal-september.org!reader02.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail > Message-ID: <[email protected]> > From: C W Rose > Newsgroups: comp.lang.python > Subject: Spam levels. > Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2018 14:57:40 + > Lines: 49 > Organization: None > Injection-Info: reader02.eternal-september.org; > posting-host="208e6410f66c7dd789dea67159b51bb7"; > logging-data="6406"; mail-complaints-to="[email protected]"; > posting-account="U2FsdGVkX18su+yG7dqCpnqChqoPIY0JNXRwgNWzvcs=" > User-Agent: tin/2.0.1-20111224 ("Achenvoir") (UNIX) (Linux/3.10.79-gentoo-1 > (i686)) > Cancel-Lock: sha1:H7zOidR0ivbNjqiWUB6DSoMMYu8= > Xref: tanner.seckford.org comp.lang.python:139461 > Repost headers: > > From C Sun Feb 11 23:22:54 2018 > Path: > eternal-september.org!reader02.eternal-september.org!feeder.eternal-september.org!aioe.org!news.bbs.geek.nz!.POSTED.agency.bbs.geek.nz!not-for-mail > Message-ID: <[email protected]> > From: C W Rose (C W Rose) > Newsgroups: comp.lang.python > Subject: Spam levels. > Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2018 14:57:40 +1200 > Organization: fsxNet Usenet Gateway | bbs.nz/#fsxNet > Mime-Version: 1.0 > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Injection-Info: news.bbs.geek.nz; > posting-host="M6YmRdZYyc42DJk0lNlt/X4dpP4dzvceBNabSmESN3E"; > logging-data="24378"; mail-complaints-to="[email protected]" > User-Agent: VSoup v1.2.9.47Beta [95/NT] > X-MailConverter: SoupGate-Win32 v1.05 > X-Comment-To: All > Xref: tanner.seckford.org comp.lang.python:139479 Looking at my current comp.lang.python news spool, 182 out of 683 messages have been reposted by news.bbs.geek.nz; I haven't checked if they are all duplicates. The reformatting of the body of message is to date trivial, just a reduction in line length. This may be the result of a misconfigured spam filter, or an actual spam attack; anyway, I've now filtered news.bbs.geek.nz from my feed. Will -- "When we look around us, this is what we find, The hope that springs eternal, springs right up your behind." -- Ian Dury -- https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
Re: Filtering computer.lang.python
Thomas Jollans wrote: > > Welcome to python-list/comp.lang.python! > > This isn't originally a Google group. Google just mirrors the old USENET > group, which is awash with spam. > > There is also a mailing list version of this group (posts are mirrored > both ways) at https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list > > The mailing list has proper spam filtering and some moderation. None (or > barely any) of the regulars use Google Groups. Some people use USENET > directly and maintain their own extensive filtering regime to make it > readable. Probably most of us use the mailing list, because it's just so > much nicer! > > -- Thomas I fetch comp.lang.python from eternal.september with leafnode, and after 30 years of Usenet I recently had to install a news filter to remove the garbage. After the initial flurry the filter doesn't need much updating, but here's why it's necessary: Feb 1 comp.lang.python: 39 articles fetched 73 killed Feb 2 comp.lang.python: 43 articles fetched 57 killed Feb 3 comp.lang.python: 19 articles fetched 108 killed Feb 4 comp.lang.python: 36 articles fetched 122 killed Feb 5 comp.lang.python: 45 articles fetched 79 killed Feb 6 comp.lang.python: 68 articles fetched 93 killed Feb 7 comp.lang.python: 32 articles fetched 118 killed Feb 8 comp.lang.python: 41 articles fetched 100 killed Feb 9 comp.lang.python: 47 articles fetched 201 killed Feb 10 comp.lang.python: 44 articles fetched 137 killed Feb 11 comp.lang.python: 36 articles fetched 130 killed Feb 12 comp.lang.python: 13 articles fetched 79 killed Feb 13 comp.lang.python: 18 articles fetched 65 killed Feb 14 comp.lang.python: 34 articles fetched 72 killed Feb 15 comp.lang.python: 15 articles fetched 63 killed Feb 16 comp.lang.python: 14 articles fetched 72 killed Feb 17 comp.lang.python: 50 articles fetched 62 killed Feb 18 comp.lang.python: 37 articles fetched 35 killed Feb 19 comp.lang.python: 58 articles fetched 57 killed Feb 20 comp.lang.python: 71 articles fetched 46 killed Feb 21 comp.lang.python: 63 articles fetched 95 killed Feb 22 comp.lang.python: 35 articles fetched 91 killed Feb 23 comp.lang.python: 38 articles fetched 91 killed Feb 25 comp.lang.python: 51 articles fetched 153 killed Feb 26 comp.lang.python: 70 articles fetched 89 killed Feb 27 comp.lang.python: 64 articles fetched 68 killed Mar 1 comp.lang.python: 98 articles fetched 133 killed Mar 2 comp.lang.python: 65 articles fetched 110 killed Mar 3 comp.lang.python: 38 articles fetched 113 killed Mar 4 comp.lang.python: 31 articles fetched 16 killed Mar 5 comp.lang.python: 51 articles fetched 104 killed Mar 6 comp.lang.python: 46 articles fetched 40 killed Mar 7 comp.lang.python: 18 articles fetched 71 killed Mar 8 comp.lang.python: 44 articles fetched 85 killed Mar 9 comp.lang.python: 43 articles fetched 65 killed Mar 10 comp.lang.python: 16 articles fetched 39 killed Mar 11 comp.lang.python: 25 articles fetched 59 killed Mar 13 comp.lang.python: 43 articles fetched 186 killed Mar 14 comp.lang.python: 20 articles fetched 76 killed Mar 15 comp.lang.python: 32 articles fetched 33 killed Mar 16 comp.lang.python: 16 articles fetched 79 killed Mar 17 comp.lang.python: 11 articles fetched 69 killed Mar 18 comp.lang.python: 4 articles fetched 70 killed Mar 19 comp.lang.python: 10 articles fetched 67 killed Mar 20 comp.lang.python: 42 articles fetched 33 killed Mar 21 comp.lang.python: 43 articles fetched 77 killed Mar 22 comp.lang.python: 14 articles fetched 35 killed Mar 23 comp.lang.python: 37 articles fetched 39 killed Mar 26 comp.lang.python: 139 articles fetched 144 killed Mar 27 comp.lang.python: 83 articles fetched 86 killed Mar 28 comp.lang.python: 39 articles fetched 45 killed Mar 29 comp.lang.python: 12 articles fetched 29 killed Mar 31 comp.lang.python: 67 articles fetched 125 killed for totals of 2168 fetched and 4384 killed; that is, the group is now 2/3 spam and the volume doesn't seem to be decreasing. I don't understand why other groups gatewayed to Google Groups aren't spammed, but from a limited sample they don't seem to be. Will -- "That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is commentary." -- Hillel the Elder -- https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
Re: Spam levels.
m wrote: > W dniu 10.02.2018 o 15:57, C W Rose pisze: >> No other groups (in the limited set which I read) have the problem, >> and I don't understand why the spammers neither spam a range of >> groups, nor change their adddresses more frequently. It may be >> that destroying comp.lang.python is their actual objective. >> >> Either way, a depressing state of affairs. > > The sad thing is, that your post is unseen, because of spam :S > > I also almost stopped reading c.l.python, because of enormous spam > levels. Do I have any option to read it without spam, other than launch > my own filtering NNTP server and do whack the mole game for myself? > > Maybe join forces and establish such server for public use? > The situation is getting worse: comp.lang.python messages 29 Jan - 14 May 2018 Fetched: 3081 Killed: 6616 Valid: 31.77 % Almost all of the garbage is coming from the "Case Solutions" poster, with a hotmail address. He's said himself that he doesn't read the group, and there's really no point to endless reposting in a newsgroup with no relevance to the posts, so it's just mindless vandalism. He doesn't change addresses or headers much, so the filter seldom needs updating; however, I think comp.lang.python is reaching the end of the line. comp.lang.c has less overwhelming problems, due to a single obsessive: comp.lang.c messages 29 Jan - 14 May 2018 Fetched: 3969 Killed: 618 Valid: 86.52 % If you are using Linux, leafnode is easy to set up, and has enough filtering to keep comp.lang.python readable. I pull from news.eternal-september.org and news.gmane.org (though I don't know how much longer gmane will last). Both are free. Will -- "It is very disappointing that mindless individuals are vandalising the Larkin toads in Hull." A police spokesman -- https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
Re: Python indentation (3 spaces)
Ryan Johnson wrote: > The point that OP is trying to make is that a fixed standard that is > distinguishable from the even-spacing Tab-length convention in code and > text editors will establish a level of trust between the end developer and > upstream developers or co-developers who may not have the same development > environment. For example, the first Python library I ever tried to use was > poorly maintained and had spaces on one line with tabs on the next, and the > author mixed naming conventions and syntax from Python 2 and 3 in his code. > That type of experience doesn’t exactly instill trust in the coding > language’s standards, when a noob tries to use a library they found and > ends up having to debug weird errors with weirder error messages on the > first project they do. The view of the Python Gods (TM) is that significant whitespace make Python much easier to use, particularly for the inexperienced. If you disagree, then use another language. (Leibnitz had some snappy phrases on the subject of Theodicy, which explain the matter clearly.) Will -- https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
