With the ever increasing amount of spam, I decided to see if the filter
functions of pine could be used to tame it.  It works, here is how:

1. the basic idea is to identify those items which you know are not spam
and send the rest to another file where they can be examined at leisure
and/or deleted in bulk, this is done using a filter.

2. create a filter by hitting m s r f.  Then hit a to add a new filter, or
create one if you have none.

3. at the prompt, hit enter and type in a name for the filter, hit enter
again, you are now in the filter configuration menu.

4. here is where options, or combinations of them, must be considered.  As
in so much in computers, there is more then one way to do something..  In
the menu are several items which can be used to tell pine to do something
with a message, depending on some content it might have.  For example, if
there is something that appears in the subject line usually, you can put it
in the filter and then use another menu item to do something to it, in this
case move or not move it to another file.  For the more experienced and/or
confident in things computer, explore the menu for ideas.  For those who
want a "just tell me what to do approach" read on.
5. one item is to use the address book content to tell pine to move or not
move a message.  Hit w and do a search for "address".

6. now move down two items to the "no" choice and hit enter.  What this
tells pine is to not do some possible thing, we will choose that next, to a
message whose "from" address appears in your address book.

7. now hit w again and search for move.

8. move down one item and hit enter to get into a text entry field where we
can enter the name of a folder into which to move any message from someone
not in your address book.  Choose a name, doesn't matter if it exists yet,
and hit enter to return to the menu.

9. now hit e to exit.  It will ask you if you want to creat the new folder,
if it doesn't already exist, hit y to confirm.  Now it will ask to make
changes,, , hit y to do so.  You are now back at the list of existing
filters, or the one you just created.  Hit e again and also confirm.


10. now go into the address book and enter any possible source from which
you want to receive mail, many will already be there because you routinely
send messages to them.  Mailing lists and other such bulk mailings will
need to be added Remember that any such lists often have a different
address from which messages are sent, compared to the one which receives
contributions or replies to messages.  Look to see what is in the "from"
field.

Now, when mail comes in, pine will compare it's origin address to those in
your address book and send any not there to your possible spam folder. This
is the simplest approach I have found.  There are many other options in the
filters which can be used, and I leave that for the curious to explore.  I
make use of the "subject" field, for example, because many of the messages
I get from mailing lists is in digest mode and digest appears in the
subject line.  I tell the filter not to send any subject with digest into
the possible spam folder.

Read the possible spam folder and see any messages you want to read but
which got through the filter, and go back to add that address to your
address book, or choose something to the filter to catch that also; if you
are using another form of the filter.  Once you have gleaned these, do a
bulk delete to the entire folder.


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