For our next episode, Spark 128, we’re taking a close look at noise and filters. One of Nora’s interviews is with Finn Brunton, all about spam filters.
Spam filters are a very specialized type of software. They’re designed to keep all those offers for v1agra and shady credit cards out of your email inbox, while allowing job offers and notes from you mom through. Spam filtering software has improved a lot over the past few years.
But, are filters necessarily the best way to can spam? Why not try to stop spam at the source? The United States has had anti-spam laws since 2003, with the CAN SPAM Act. Right now in Canada, we have our own proposed anti-spam legislation in the form of Bill C-28. Back in October, the New York Times reported that after Russian police announced a criminal investigation of one suspected spam king, worldwide spam dropped by 50 billion messages a day.
So, one one hand, filters. On the other hand, the law.
To talk about the relative merits of these two approaches to fighting spam, Nora talked to Finn Brunton. Finn’s a post-doctoral researcher at NYU, and he’s writing a book about spam. A shorter version of their interview will air on Spark 128, but you can hear the full, unfiltered interview below, or download the MP3. [runs 18:13]
Play audio:
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Hello Nora
Found the interview with Finn Brunton very interesting, interesting enough to listen to the extended version, but mostly I just wanted to say as many may or must that I enjoy Your Bit of the CBC week very much it is one of the must listen to programs on My list that air over the week on the CBC so Thanks for Your Hard work that You apparently put into Spark!!!
Regards
Rick
Thanks, Rick. That's very kind. As a team, we love what we do, so the work comes naturally.
There many legitimate bulk e-mailers that follow the laws of the can spam act. I have no idea where Finn Brunton got the information there are only 250 people in the industry. Every year 1000s of people meet for the ad-tech convention. bulk e-mail is here to stay banks give business loans for start ups, and they are more than happy to give mortgages to people who make there living sending bulk adds. Some the worlds biggest corporation advertise products this way. Just like junk paper mail it is annoying and unwelcome, but it sells products and makes allot money for a thousands of people. I have not read his book but from what I can tell from the interview he is is not very well informed.
Hello, John. Thanks for your comment. To clarify, when Finn says that the majority of spam is generated by a few hundred players, he's referring to the types of spammers who run botnets, run credit card scams, and perform identity theft.
He's not talking about legit mass-email marketers here.