[Spambayes] Fact Check for PC World [11hsbs SpamBayes]

[Tim Peters]

[Kristina Saar]
> Hello Gary,
>
> Could one of you please verify these facts below ASAP?  Thanks! :)
>
> Kristina
>
> Please verify the following for publication in PC World, November
> issue. The text is a paraphrase of that which will be printed. Please
> make any changes in ALL CAPS (not in color or bold).
>
> IMPORTANT: Please only notify us of changes that are strictly
> necessary for the factual accuracy, spelling or punctuation of the
> material. Please do not add text, only verify what is there.

Some of your info is out of date; see below.


> I would be very grateful to receive your response as soon as possible.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Kristina Saar
> Research Editor, PC World
> phone: 415.974.7375
> kristina_saar at pcworld.com
>
> Product Information and/or excerpts from article or list text:
>
> -- The free, open-source SpamBayes plug-in for Outlook 2000 and 2002
> is a 2.8MB download.

SpamBayes-Outlook-Setup-007.exe IS A 3.2MB DOWNLOAD.

> -- Other antispam techniques rely on centralized databases of known
> spam messages, or static rules that scan messages for words or
> attributes often found in spam. Bayesian filtering differs by
> scanning the message's content, then computing the probability that
> it is spam compared to other messages already identified as spam or
> non-spam.

WHILE CLASSICAL BAYESIAN CLASSIFIERS CLAIM TO COMPUTE A SPAM PROBABILITY,
THEY DON'T COMPUTE A PROBABILITY IN ANY REALISTIC SENSE.  SPAMBAYES DOES NOT
COMPUTE SPAM PROBABILITIES (AND ISN'T A CLASSICAL BAYESIAN CLASSIFIER).
SPAMBAYES DOES COMPUTE A SPAM "SCORE".

> Mssages with a spam probability of 90 or higher on a scale

CHANGE 'PROBABILITY' TO 'SCORE'.

> of 100 are moved to the Spam folder. Messages that score 15 or lower
> stay in the inbox.

90 AND 15 AREN'T HARDWIRED -- THE USER CAN SET THEM TO ANYTHING.

> Messages that fall in between go to an Unsure Spam
> folder where you must determine their fate manually. (You must first
> create these folders in Outlook, then configure SpamBayes to use
> them.)
> -- SpamBayes has a database
> -- has an Unsure Spam folder
> -- The SpamBayes plug-in adds buttons to Outlook's toolbar

THE SPAMBAYES PLUG-IN ADDS A NEW TOOLBAR (IT DOES NOT ADD BUTTONS TO
OUTLOOK'S TOOLBAR).

> for jobs such as a way to identify which spam messages it missed and
> the good messages it wrongly identified as spam.
>
> END