4 ms·
the guy who invented spam filtering as we know it That is NOT TRUE! It's so frustrating people think this. He popularized one particular algorithm, which is
by brendano 17y ago
the guy who invented spam filtering as we know it
That is NOT TRUE! It's so frustrating people think this. He popularized one particular algorithm, which is great. But he did not invent it, not by a long shot.
- Retric 17y agoWho invented spam filtering as we know it? I recall a transition from useless spam filters that blocked ~50% just fine but if you made them more restrictive you started to get your own messages blocked. I realize he did little more than say, this is a problem, here is an algorithm that works. But, who would you suggest first pointed out this type of approach?
- jackchristopher 17y ago> Who invented spam filtering as we know it? Not to be facetious but who invented them, depends on your definition of "spam filter". I know you mean email filter, but when you put it that way, it makes me think of the generalized problem of filtering. Put that way, I don't think a who invented it. It was more like it was discovered by a what.
- wallflower 17y agoMore on pg's Bayesian Filtering A Plan for Spam: http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html
- pg 17y agoI think you're misreading the article. They're not claiming I invented spam filtering, just one particular algorithm that worked. There were effective spam filters before "A Plan for Spam," most notably CRM114, but that worked differently. And there were a couple papers published that had the words "Bayesian" and "spam filter" in the title, but the algorithms they described were different, and in fact quite useless.
- brendano 17y agointeresting. thanks for the clarification!