Assigning score to custom rules (and rules in general?)

[Blaise St-Laurent <bl...@geeky.net>]

I was wondering how more experienced spamassassin admins have been 
assigning scores to rules that are relevant to their site (and also per 
user if need be). I've installed a few "aftermarket" rulesets now, and 
some of the values are (IMO) either too low or two high based on how 
many show up in the spams and hams i examine.

Is there a good methodology to figuring out appropriate scores? I was 
thinking of writing a script that would look at the proportion of  
ham/spam that this rule applies to, but that gives me a percentage, but 
not a value.

How are you all doing it?


Blaise. <bl...@geeky.net>
--------------------------------
Random IRC quote:
<BombScare> i beat the internet
<BombScare> the end guy is hard 

Re: Assigning score to custom rules (and rules in general?)

[Brook Humphrey <ba...@webmedic.net>]

On Tuesday 10 February 2004 12:13, Blaise St-Laurent wrote:
> I was wondering how more experienced spamassassin admins have been
> assigning scores to rules that are relevant to their site (and also per
> user if need be). I've installed a few "aftermarket" rulesets now, and
> some of the values are (IMO) either too low or two high based on how
> many show up in the spams and hams i examine.
>
> Is there a good methodology to figuring out appropriate scores? I was
> thinking of writing a script that would look at the proportion of
> ham/spam that this rule applies to, but that gives me a percentage, but
> not a value.
>
> How are you all doing it?
>
>
Wow I wish I could answer you right on this but I'm not sure how. The way I do 
my scoreing is very heavily weighted on bayes. With high thresholds. After I 
have added quite a few mails to the bayes db I rarely get fp's. 



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        Mobile PC Medic, 420 1st, Cheney, WA 99004, 509-235-9107        
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Re: Assigning score to custom rules (and rules in general?)

[Robert Menschel <Ro...@Menschel.net>]

Hello Blaise,

Tuesday, February 10, 2004, 12:13:31 PM, you wrote:

BSL> I was wondering how more experienced spamassassin admins have been 
BSL> assigning scores to rules that are relevant to their site (and also per
BSL> user if need be). I've installed a few "aftermarket" rulesets now, and
BSL> some of the values are (IMO) either too low or two high based on how
BSL> many show up in the spams and hams i examine.

Head for the rules wiki at http://www.exit0.us and find the link to my
BobMenschel pages there. One of the first pages in that collection
documents my scoring methods as of a couple of months ago. (I'm working
on enhancements to that, but the documented methods are quite workable as
a startig point.)

Bob Menschel

Re: Assigning score to custom rules (and rules in general?)

[Matt Kettler <mk...@evi-inc.com>]

At 03:13 PM 2/10/2004, Blaise St-Laurent wrote:
>Is there a good methodology to figuring out appropriate scores? I was 
>thinking of writing a script that would look at the proportion of
>ham/spam that this rule applies to, but that gives me a percentage, but 
>not a value.

Don't bother writing your own script for this.. mass-check already comes 
with SA and you can feed it mailboxes full of spam and nonspam. From there, 
use hit-frequencies to make a pretty report..

As for score assignment, I personally like the "start low and tune up until 
it works but doesn't hurt" approach.