Re: [ANNOUNCE] contrib/hashcash.el spam fighter

[Stainless Steel Rat <ratinox@peorth.gweep.net>]

* Simon Josefsson <jas@extundo.com>  on Mon, 24 Jun 2002
| No, it does not work like that.  Each coin has a limited life length
| (e.g., 28 days), the receiver only has to keep track of valid ones
| within the time window.

I-the-spammer generate a new hash every hundred thousand messages or so.
I-the-spammer easilly circumvent the X-Hashcash system, and without even
trying hard.

| This is explained on the web page...

I looked.  The X-Hashcash scheme is fundamentally flawed.  It relies on the
sender being honest when he says that he spent the time generating the hash
when he puts it in his headers.  It does not stop spam.  It only gives the
end user a useless header and an fHuge database of signatures.

[...]
| > The more I learn about X-Hashcash, the more I see that it is doomed to
| > fail.
| Do you have a better idea?

Hashcash at the MTA level.  That is enforceable because the recipient says
"find X bits of collision with this hash or your message will not be
accepted".  It does not rely on the good faith of the sender, it forces the
sender to solve a problem in real time.

Or make spam a federal crime like junk faxes and then enforce it.

-- 
Rat <ratinox@peorth.gweep.net>    \ Caution: Happy Fun Ball may suddenly
Minion of Nathan - Nathan says Hi! \ accelerate to dangerous speeds.
PGP Key: at a key server near you!  \ 
       That and five bucks will get you a small coffee at Starbucks.