Spam Folder: Difference between revisions

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You can create some special folders manually to help with dealing with spam. (We used to create these automatically, but do not at the moment.)


When connecting to our email service over IMAP we will create a special folder named <code>spam</code> (lowercase). If you delete the spam folder it will be re-created next time you log in.
*spam
*learnspam
*learnham


Some email clients recognise this folder as being 'special' and may call is something else, eg our webmail calls it <code>Junk</code>
Note that these names are case sensitive.


The service will then move messages that has been classified as spam in to this folder. This helps
===spam===
keep your inbox free of spam and you should keep an eye on this folder in case there are messages
Messages which the system has marked as spam will be placed
that are not spam.
in to the spam folder rather than your inbox. -this helps
keep your inbox free of spam.


==Disabling the spam folder ==
You should keep an eye on this folder in case there are messages
To stop the mail system from putting spam (or any) messages then you can create a Whitelist for your address on the Control Pages.
that are not spam. -if you do find such messages, then move then
to the learnham folder which is in your Inbox.


==Spam 'learning'==
If you delete the spam folder, then spam messages will go to
your Inbox folder instead.


Our spam checking system performs many checks on a
===learnspam and learnham===
message to decide whether it is spam or not. One of the
checks it can do, is to compare the message with previous
messages -this is called Bayesian Learning.


==Checking the learning==
The special spam folders leanspam and
If you view the '[[Email_Viewing_Headers|headers]]' of a message, you should see the spam report, and a line looking like:
are folders that you can move messages in to so as to help
-3.0 BAYES_00 BODY: Bayes spam probability is 0 to 1%
the Bayesian system deal with your email.
or perhaps
0.8 BAYES_50 BODY: Bayes spam probability is 40 to 60%
Here you can see the 'Bayes spam probability' as a percentage.
In the first example the Bayes really thinks the message is not spam - it says 0-1%. The second example is less sure about it.


==Teaching the system==
TEACHING A MESSAGE AS SPAM:
If the 'Bayes spam probability' is incorrect, then it can be taught about messages that it has got wrong in the following ways:


If you have a message which is spam, but the system
*Move a message '''OUT''' of the spam folder to tell the system it is '''NOT spam'''
*Move a message '''IN''' to the spam folder to tell the system it '''IS spam'''
has not marked as spam, then you can move the message to
your spam folder. This will get learnt as it's moved.


If you make a mistake, just move the message back.
You can also move the message in to the learnspam folder
for it to get learnt overnight, it will then be moved
back to your spam folder once learnt.


The process of learning doesn't guarantee that the system will be correct next time a similar message is received, but it should help
TEACHING A MESSAGE AS NOT-SPAM (HAM):
and you should see a change in the 'probability' in the headers.

If you have a message that has been marked as spam, but
is not a spam message, then you can do move it out
of the spam folder and in to your Inbox and it will be
learnt as it's moved.



Here is how the look in webmail:

[[File:Email-default-folders.png]]

(The 'Junk; folder is actually called 'spam', but in this case, Roundcube displays the folder as 'Junk' instead of 'spam'.)


==Legacy folders==
In the past we used to have a system that used folders called <code>learnham</code> and <code>learnspam</code> - this system is no longer used. These
folders can be removed.


[[Category:Email Features]]
[[Category:Email Features]]

Revision as of 14:09, 20 August 2019


When connecting to our email service over IMAP we will create a special folder named spam (lowercase). If you delete the spam folder it will be re-created next time you log in.

Some email clients recognise this folder as being 'special' and may call is something else, eg our webmail calls it Junk

The service will then move messages that has been classified as spam in to this folder. This helps keep your inbox free of spam and you should keep an eye on this folder in case there are messages that are not spam.

Disabling the spam folder

To stop the mail system from putting spam (or any) messages then you can create a Whitelist for your address on the Control Pages.

Spam 'learning'

Our spam checking system performs many checks on a message to decide whether it is spam or not. One of the checks it can do, is to compare the message with previous messages -this is called Bayesian Learning.

Checking the learning

If you view the 'headers' of a message, you should see the spam report, and a line looking like:

 -3.0 BAYES_00               BODY: Bayes spam probability is 0 to 1%

or perhaps

 0.8 BAYES_50               BODY: Bayes spam probability is 40 to 60%

Here you can see the 'Bayes spam probability' as a percentage. In the first example the Bayes really thinks the message is not spam - it says 0-1%. The second example is less sure about it.

Teaching the system

If the 'Bayes spam probability' is incorrect, then it can be taught about messages that it has got wrong in the following ways:

  • Move a message OUT of the spam folder to tell the system it is NOT spam
  • Move a message IN to the spam folder to tell the system it IS spam

If you make a mistake, just move the message back.

The process of learning doesn't guarantee that the system will be correct next time a similar message is received, but it should help and you should see a change in the 'probability' in the headers.

Legacy folders

In the past we used to have a system that used folders called learnham and learnspam - this system is no longer used. These folders can be removed.