3/22    Anyone know what the [.*] field in the subject of lots of spam
                             \- can you post an example of what you mean here?
        mail is for?  Some sort of tracking, I assume, but what do they
        do with it?
        \_ One goal is to prevent you from using a checksum system to make
           a useful collaborative database of spam in order to block it.  (If
           each message is different, the MD5 or SHA1 will be different, too.)
           Another is to find out which spam you were replying to, if you
           reply, or which spam you were complaining about, if you complain.
           Some spammers also use "web bugs" to catch those people whose MUAs
           support HTML mail -- as soon as you open the message, you've been
           tracked, and the spammer has confirmed that your e-mail address is
           valid and that you regularly read e-mail.   -- schoen
           \_ Also be careful if the spam contains a URL with a big unique
              looking identifier in it, like http://www.foo.com/VIUHVIUHXIXCH
              Because likely they have a database mapping that ID to your
              address, so if you do choose to check out their product, whammo,
              they now know that you are not only a valid email address,
              but one interested in receiving _lots_ of spam about that
              product.
        \_ Uhm, the above are both correct and all but really why care?  Just
           delete it and add them and *.kr *.cn and *.jp to your block list.
           \_ oh yeah, there's no chance you could ever receive legitimate
              mail from Asian countries.  -tom
              \_ Hey lover boy, how much legit mail do you receive from Asia?
                 I parse my reject logs and have received *zero* in the last
                 few years.  Are you trying to buy a gf from one of those
                 http://koreangirlfriend.com sites?  That doesn't count.  By your
                 logic we should not block any spammish-looking emails because
                 you never know when you'll want a refill on your Viagra.
                \_ Get a life (I have friends who've moved to Asia) and a
                   a job (I have colleagues there), twink.  -tom
                   \_ Gee, non-anonymous insults are so much more useful.
                        \_ I'm willing to stand behind my words.  Are you? -tom
                   \_ Need technical help configuring your spam blocks to let
                      your friends mail you while still blocking the spam?
                      What does spam blocking having to do with getting a life
                      or a job?  You're an interesting fellow.  Don't you work
                      for a school?  What colleagues do you have in Asia?  Just
                      curious.
                        \_ do you think there are no schools in asia?  do you
                           think professors never leave campus?  -tom