[Congressman Billybob]

I get a few e-mails every week from people I have never heard from, commenting on something I've written, pro or con. So I can't use a filter that screens out all "unknowns." I value those e-mails, and want to receive them.

John / Billybob

[GSlob]

Well, then you need a filter with the true human-level intelligence for the analysis of incoming e-mail. It would require computer power greater than the "deep blue" of chess fame, and that might be a bit inconvenient, both space- and dollar-wise. I was suggesting a nonintelligent but reasonably foolproof solution - a filter would be passing only messages from those you have written to [assuming that it might be their answer] - and even then only the number of messages you would pre-specify, plus the messages from manually [as a protection against malware] authorized sources.