Re: Gif-Only spams

[Ben Hanson]

Hmm, scoring certain attachments (.gif, .jpg, etc) based on a calculated 
checksum (md5 or otherwise).  To be time efficient it would have to be 
an enable/disable option for older hardware, presumably.  The 
disadvantages are cpu time, network traffic, the need for servers to 
store the checksum recognized.  They could be generated by examining up 
to some maximum amount of data from images.  Advantages?  I remember 
receiving for a time a series of daily ED drug spams that seemed to have 
nothing in common, for weeks about a year ago.  Different apparent 
source, different subjects.  But it was always the same image.  This 
sort of image checksum matching would have been able to cut those off 
after the requisite quantity had been reported.  I like it.  Of course, 
I can play devil's advocate and presume a professional spammer might 
theoretically use some sort of image processing automation to switch a 
single pixel in a bank of transparent lines at the bottom of the image 
(or top or sides) switched to the background color, changing checksums 
for each repetition of spam they spew..... 

Ben