Filter for crashing emails

Sun, 18 Jun 2000 01:30:19 -0700 (PDT)

On Fri, 16 Jun 2000 13:06:49 -0300 (ADT), Trevor Smith wrote:

>If you want to automatically filter out URL-Encoded, MIME-Encoded
>emails (the ones that cause PMMail to crash the second they are
>viewed in the preview pane or in a 'read message' window) you *can*
>do the following (I have tested it on one of the 'bad' emails):

I have not received any html email that crashes PMMail. However, if
opening the email crashes PMMail, I would think that filtering would do
the same thing since the message must be examined to filter it. If it
doesn't crash PMMail when filtering, then this may be a clue to fixing the
problem.
>
>Create a new filter with the following settings:
>
>1. Enabled
>2. Incoming
>3. Complex
>4. These settings in the entry field (remember to substitute YOUR
>email address instead of mine):
>
>!(Header.toid="trevor@haligonian.com")

A better version is !(Header.toid="$c.acctid$" | Header.Cc="$c.acctid$")
The filter can then be copied and used in multiple account environments.
>  & 
>(Header.Content-Type="text/html")

This will only catch well-behaved messages. I have found that this will
not filter all html messages. My html filter is as follows:
h.Content-Type="text/html" | b.subtype="html" | b="<html>" |
a.subtype="html"
So far this has captured all html messages.
>
>5. Actions:
>   a) Set status - read
>   b) Move message - Trash
>   c) Delete message - Local copy
>   d) Inform user

As stated in the help file (and my experience) the above filter actions
will cause the filtered message to be marked as read and moved to the
trash folder. That's it. Move and Delete are mutually exclusive. Each will
cause any subsequent filter actions and any subsequent filters to not be
executed. 5c and 5d will not occur. Moving the message to the trash folder
is the same as deleting the message with "Perform True Deletes" not set.
5a isn't really needed since the trash folder icon will change back when
the message is actually deleted. I prefer to know that my trash folder
contains messages I haven't really read.
>
>
>The above filter will cause the message to be irretrievably deleted
>from your system (and not leave your folder indicator with a 'new
>unread message' green hat indicator) and notify you. If you have
>"Perform True Deletes" set (in the Account Settings..., Preferences
>page) you probably can skip step 5b above.

The message will not necessarily be  irretrievably deleted. Your filter as
written will cause PMMail to delete the message according to the time
frame for emptying the trash folder set in Account Settings...,
Preferences page.
>
>This filter will delete *ANY* message with a type of text/html which
>is *NOT* addressed specifically to the email address you enter. If
>someone sends a message to a friend of yours and BCC:s *you* and the
>message contains HTML, IT WILL BE DELETED BEFORE YOU EVER SEE IT.

Your filter as written will allow the message to be read from the trash
folder.
>
>USE THE ABOVE FILTER WITH CAUTION!
>
>A safer method is to create a folder for "suspicious" emails and have
>the filter move them there instead of deleting them. You can inspect
>them later but with foreknolwedge that they might be malicious.

This is what I do with my "html filter". To accomplish your stated
objective my filter would look like this:

1. Enabled
2. Incoming
3. Complex
4. These settings in the entry field:

!(Header.toid="$c.acctid$ | Header.Cc="$c.acctid$")
&
(h.Content-Type="text/html" | b.subtype="html" | b="<html>" |
a.subtype="html")

5. Actions:
   a) Set status - read
   b)  Inform user
   c) Delete message - Local and Remote copies

Placement of the filter in the filter list is as important as the filter
itself. You can avoid unwanted action by placing this filter after any
filters that check for other than html mail.
--
JMO, 
/s/~Kris
-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------