[clamav-users] clamav-virusdb mailing list - what is the use?

[Groach]

Hi Dennis

Either you are being very generous on giving information despite it not 
being asked for, or you have misunderstood my initial post (in either 
case, thank you).  My question was really "what is the point of *this* 
mailing list" in context of what was written ealier:  ie, the 
"clamav-virusdb" mailing list (not the clamav-user list).  That list 
contains no useful information whatsoever to anyone (as outlined in my 
first post).


On 11/03/2016 17:29, Dennis Peterson wrote:
> This is the list clamav users and administrators use to troubleshoot, 
> debug, install, and configure the product. The support staff also 
> participate and answer questions that can't be answered by reading the 
> manual. It is intended for product support. The other lists are for 
> product improvement through false positive handling and malware sample 
> submissions.
>
> dp
>
> On 3/11/16 12:57 AM, Groach wrote:
>> Hello
>>
>> Ok, so I understand the process:
>>
>> 1,  If you have a false positive or you have a suspicious file you 
>> send it to ClamAV via the website and wait a few days for them to 
>> process it.
>> 2,  When they do process it (in theory) you get an email back saying 
>> something to the effect of :
>>
>> "Dear ClamAV user,
>>
>> The following submissions have been processed and published:
>> -
>>
>> See http://lists.clamav.net/pipermail/clamav-virusdb/2016-March/ "
>>
>>
>> 3,  By its referenced inclusion, you then go to 
>> http://lists.clamav.net/pipermail/clamav-virusdb/2016-March to see 
>> some 'details'
>>
>> But what is the point of this mailing list?
>>
>> Because it doesnt show anything meaningful within the individual 
>> postings:
>>
>> Example:
>>
>> Submission-ID: 14926518
>> Sender: Virus Total
>> Sender: VirScan.org
>> Sender: Anonymous
>> Sender: Paul McKnight
>> Added: No
>>
>> (and a LOT of them).
>>
>> "Submission-ID" - what does that refer to?  It certainly isnt a 
>> anything that I received back at time of submitting.  Completely 
>> ambiguous.
>>
>> "Sender" - ok, this I accept
>>
>> "Added" - what does that mean?  (In the experience of a recent 
>> submission of mine I received an "Added=no" and I had submitted a 
>> False Positive report.  And most entries say "no").
>>
>> I thought the theory of this mailing list was to allow people to view 
>> their (or any other) submissions with the details yet the details 
>> they give have no use whatsoever beyond that of the 'Sender' ID and 
>> the header "ClamAV database updated..." Date. (And even then the 
>> SenderId is no good if you have done multiple submissions).
>>
>> And this is all pointless anyway as there is no longer any search 
>> facility any more (I submitted a report and now must go through every 
>> entry individually, doing a CTRL-F search, looking for the Sender id 
>> of interest(!), backwards, and then backout, in to the next posting, 
>> and repeat again...and again....and again...until I find one).
>>
>> Did anyone actually THINK about the point of publishing this list and 
>> whether it has any use to anyone?
>>
>> I would like to see something more meaningful where:
>>
>> a, 'Submission ID' is a reference that is given to the user making 
>> the report in the first place (currently the users dont get anything)
>> b, 'Added' means something more meaningful that makes it clear 
>> whether a new virus signature has been created, a false positive has 
>> been removed, or whether the submission was just disregarded for some 
>> reason (making the reason clear).
>> c, Bring back a SEARCH facility so that a user can search for either 
>> a signature definition (when it was added) or their recent submission 
>> (to see if it has been processed yet).
>>
>>
>> Take this as constructive feedback.  But if anyone can give an answer 
>> with convincing reasons as to why this mailing list is of interest to 
>> any member of public, and how they are expected to use it, then Im 
>> all ears
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Help us build a comprehensive ClamAV guide:
>> https://github.com/vrtadmin/clamav-faq
>>
>> http://www.clamav.net/contact.html#ml
>
> _______________________________________________
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> https://github.com/vrtadmin/clamav-faq
>
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