If the tests run by the anti-spam filter were systematically successful, spam would no longer be a problem. In reality, although success rates are high (more than 95%), measures have to be taken to correct the system’s possible mistakes, and this can be done in two different ways:
“False positives”
False positives happen when a rightful message is wrongly labelled as spam. If quarantine is not activated, such a message is to be found in the messaging application, possibly in a folder containing all the other spams. It is therefore important to regularly access the folder where spam messages are automatically moved into, in order to correct the possible false positives. In the same way, if quarantine is activated, the user must keep an eye on the quarantine reports to detect false positives and request their transfer out of the quarantine (see below).
“False negatives”
False negatives happen when a spam message goes through the MailCleaner filter and is sent to your inbox without being labelled as such.
In order to improve MailCleaner, reporting these errors is very helpful and can be done by transferring the messages to the following addresses:
- false positives must be sent to : error@mailcleaner.net (if the false positive is quarantined, the simple use of the
button will do).
- false negatives must be sent to: spam@mailcleaner.net
For the analysis of the errors to occur in perfect conditions, the ill-filtered message’s header should be included in the forwarding of the e-mail. Copying and pasting the content of the message as well as forwarding it the standard way could indeed reformat the message and the latter would become of no help to MailCleaner’s analysis team. Attaching the header of a message can be done in these various methods according to your messaging software:
Webmail
When the message is shown, choose “Display: raw” in the upper right part of the screen. A new window will then pop up with the header displayed.
Thunderbird
When the message is shown, go to View -> Header -> Complete, and click the “Forward” button in the toolbox.
AppleMail
When the message is shown, go to View -> Message, then click on "All Headers".
Forward the e-mail afterwards.
Outlook Express
Select the message and choose “Forward as Attachment” in the “Message” menu.
Outlook
Open the message. Go to the “Actions” menu, choose “Resend this Message”; click OK on the warning appearing afterwards (indicating that you will not be shown as the apparent sender of the message that is about to be sent) and modify the addressee field To: with the corresponding address.