Save time, hassle, and annoyance by eliminating most "spam" before you even see it! Sick of seeing tons of unwanted e-mail? Are you spending hours of your workweek wading through e-mail that has nothing to do with your job?
The CNS Open Systems Group has enabled a "spam-detection" system for every single e-mail sent to GatorLink userid@ufl.edu addresses. This process gives each message a score, using asterisks (*) to "grade" each message. If a message gets a score of 5 (*****) or more asterisks, then we're pretty certain it's spam. Because these spam scores are now a part of the headers in your e-mail, they can be used as a sorting/screening device in certain e-mail programs. This should save you considerable time, effort and annoyance, by screening out junk e-mail so you don't have to see it.
What is "spam" e-mail? Spam (also known as UCE; "Unsolicited Commercial E-mail") is the name given to unwanted mass e-mail. It's junk mail that wastes your time and system resources. This is e-mail that you did not ask for and don't want. It's the "Nigerian account" scam, pornography, or "bargains" on prescription drugs, to mention but a few. Will this new service stop all unwanted mail? No. Sadly, we can't stop the e-mail from coming, but with filters in place, you won't have to sift through it, or even see most of it.
Will this happen automatically? Currently, CNS rejects outright (at the server) only the most blatant examples of Spam, in order to minimize the risk of accidentally blocking valid messages. Before you see any further benefit, you will have to set up filters in your e-mail program to read the "spam scores" and take whatever action you decide (such as moving the messages to a separate folder to review/delete later).
Each mail program is different. CNS has developed a series of "cookbook" documents to help you configure some of the more common programs, including:
Consult your e-mail program's help section if you get stuck. Look though your mail program's preferences or menus for Message Filters, Rules, Rules Wizard or something similar.If you need help configuring your e-mail program to take advantage of spam filtering, please contact the UF Computing Help Desk at 392-HELP, helpdesk@ufl.edu.
Overview of CNS
Systems & Services
Please contact us if you can't find the information you need.
Send your questions to consult@lists.ufl.edu, or call 352.392-2061.
UF Computing & Networking Services is located on the campus of the 
This page was last updated Sep. 12, 2006 by CNS Information Services