Junkmail FAQ

  1. Why the change?
  2. Will I get the notification emails again?
  3. The new Junkmail service keeps blocking emails that aren't spam! Help!
  4. I approved emails from my junkmail summary or junkmail.uchicago.edu, but they never arrived! Help!
  5. What's the change mean for my currently configured junkmail.uchicago.edu preferences?
  6. I don't want virus and spam filtering, can I opt of the service?
  7. I'm an admin for or subscribe to some mailing lists on listhost.uchicago.edu. What does the change mean for me?
  8. This new spam solution sounds great. It should be all we need to take care of spam, right?
  9. I'm still getting spam, is something wrong?
  10. People send mail to @midway.uchicago.edu – will those still be filtered?
  11. People send mail to a or nickname – will those still be filtered?
  12. How do I log into the web interface using Internet Explorer on my Mac?
  13. What about my @gsb or @bsd email account?
  14. I opted out of Junkmail, how can I opt back into the service?

  1. Why the change?

    The previous spam solution we had wasn't optimal, and this gave rise to several rather inconvenient issues:

    • An improperly set threshold that reduced the filter's effectiveness
    • An email duplication issue that led to users receiving sometimes in excess of six copies of the same email
    • Quarantine notification emails not being sent at all
    • Sometimes unresponsive login page
    • Email delays

    Moving forward with this new spam solution should by and large eliminate these issues.

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  2. You mentioned those notification emails we used to receive. Will we be getting those again?

    Yes, you'll start seeing those again. They'll be even better - you can actually approve emails you want sent right from the notification emails.

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  3. The new Junkmail service keeps blocking emails that aren't spam! Help!

    The new spam filter is much more aggressive. Thus, there is a chance that legitimate email intended for a user could be flagged as spam. We strongly urge all users of the new system to review their junkmail summaries and approve any senders that are accidentally blocked. The quarantine emails contain all the tools necessary to approve senders. As users allow legitimate senders and configure their new preferences to their taste, this chance will diminish. Take a look at the Junkmail Summary specifics.

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  4. I approved emails from my junkmail summary or junkmail.uchicago.edu, but they never arrived! Help!

    The new junkmail quarantine attaches the [SPAM:#] tag to the subject line of any emails it thinks are spam. If you have a filter that's looking for [SPAM:#] in the subject line of emails (or any filter that would catch that tag), the emails you've released will be caught by that filter. At this time, there is no way to remove or disable the junkmail system's tagging. You will need to either disable or change the filter so emails with this tag will make it to your inbox.

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  5. What does the change mean for my currently configured junkmail.uchicago.edu preferences?

    They will be lost. A new system means you will need to set new preferences. The new interface includes the ability to add filters just like the filters in webmail. The online documentation for the new junkmail.uchicago.edu is also much more robust to help you get the most out of this new service.

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  6. What about opting out? I use my own spam solution or want to see all the mail I get?

    That hasn't changed! You can opt out at junkmail.uchicago.edu at any time by logging in, clicking on the Controls choice in the left sidebar, and changing the filter condition to "Off." Remember: if you opted out of the previous junkmail.uchicago.edu service, you also will need to opt out of this new service.

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  7. I'm an admin for or I subscribe to some mailing lists on listhost.uchicago.edu. What does the change mean for me?

    Mailing lists will be using the old spam solution for a bit longer. We have a timeline for migrating them, but it's not going to be at the same time as individual users are moved to the new spam solution. You may still see some emails marked as [SPAM:###] (or something similar) until this transition is completed.

    List administrators will be able to log on to the Junkmail web interface using their full mailing list address (e.g. "listname@listhost.uchicago.edu") for the user name, and their mailing list's administrative password. After that, configuring options, blocking or approving senders, and releasing wrongly quarantined messages is done just as it is for a regular user.

    Note: before the junkmail migration for mailing lists is complete, there may be a different location for mailing list administrators to configure settings for their lists. This information will be released to mailing list administrators when it is available.

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  8. This new spam solution sounds great. It should be all we need to take care of spam, right?

    Spammers use a variety of methods to get emails past filters, and nothing will catch everything. The situation is a kind of arms race - spammers continuously come out with new weapons that we have to build new defenses for. Being proactive by updating our spam solution will help, but it is unrealistic to expect total protection.

    Using an email client with a Bayesian (also called adaptive) filter can help provide a second layer of protection: the email client can be trained to identify emails that are spam. Mozilla Thunderbird, NSIT's recommended email client, uses this kind of filtering.

    And don't forget that since you can add filters to the new spam solution, you can also expand its capacities if it doesn't seem to be catching a specific kind of email.

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  9. I'm still getting spam, is something wrong?

    No service can catch all spam or viruses, in part because there is not an agreed upon definition for what spam is and in part of because spammers are constantly working on ways to avoid filters. You can double-check that you are still opted into the service by logging into Junkmail's web interface, clicking on the menu item called "Control" and under "Select a Filter Condition:" make sure "Normal (only junkmail gets this filter action)" is selected.

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  10. People send mail to @midway.uchicago.edu – will those still be filtered?

    Mail sent to @midway.uchicago.edu email addresses will be filtered for spam and viruses.

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  11. People send mail to a nickname (second email address) – will those still be filtered?

    Mail sent to aliases like the nicknames will be filtered for spam and viruses.

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  12. How do I log into the web interface using Internet Explorer on my Mac?

    Internet Explorer on the Mac isn't capable of logging into Junkmail's web interface. We recommend installing and using the version of Mozilla that comes with the latest Connectivity Package to visit Junkmail's web interface.

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  13. What about my @gsb or @bsd email account?

    Junkmail will filter any email coming through the central University email system. If your department or division has set up an email system independent of the central email system, email sent to it will not go through the Junkmail service. You can use your @uchicago.edu address if you'd like your mail filtered.

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  14. I opted out of Junkmail, how can I opt back into of the service?

    If you opted out of the Junkmail service but would like to opt back in, log into Junkmail's web interface, clicking on the menu item called "Control" and under "Select a Filter Condition:" make sure "Normal (only junkmail gets this filter action)" is selected.

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Last updated: 12/06/06