Junk Filtering Doesn't Function As Described

Question

I'm trying to comprehend how junk filtering works. I've tried setting it
so that it will allow all messages from parties in my address book, or previous
recipients, or those who send e-mails to my complete address, and then a list of all the words I can think of to cover those e-mails for Viagra, Losing Weight Etc.. However, this seems to filter everything into Junk Mail except the Junk? Am I misunderstanding the concept?
Or is there something odd with how this is set up - When I read the Preferences I have set up it does seem odd that is says "If any of the following conditions are met it will be filtered - and then it lists Previous Recipients or Not in My Address Book.
Of course I want e-mails from Previous Recipients and Parties in my address book - as well as people who have looked up my full e-mail address - But Somehow most of these are in the Junk Mail - and Garbage is what comes through. My regular clients end up in Junk Mail sometimes!
I have e-mails from my significant other (from whom there are hundreds of existing e-mails) ending up in the Junk Section - as well as those from regular clients - and parties in my address book. I've tried adding names to the address book once they show up as junk mail - and - hours later there they are again in Junk Mail once again. I've tried listing them as
Not Junk Mail without luck, next time a message comes in - it's right back in Junk Mail again. What am I doing wrong? Or is this filtering thing just a mess?
Thanks!
dallas
Powerbook G4   Mac OS X (10.4.8)  
Powerbook G4   Mac OS X (10.4.8)  
Powerbook G4   Mac OS X (10.4.8)  
Powerbook G4   Mac OS X (10.4.8)  
Powerbook G4   Mac OS X (10.4.8)  

Answer 1

I've been using the Mail.app since Jaguar was introduced, thru Panther and now Tiger. I've never removed, added to or adjusted the default Junk Mail rules and the filter has always worked very well for me. Mail.app's Junk Mail filter does not rely on these rules anyway and IMO trying to add additional criteria to the existing default Junk Mail rules based on words, etc. is like a dog chasing his tail.
I would do the following to start over.
Go to Mail > Preferences > Junk Mail and disable Junk Mail filtering.
Quit and relaunch Mail. Go to Mail > Preferences > Junk Mail. Re-enable Junk Mail filtering. Select "Move it to the Junk mailbox (Automatic)" and select the Reset button to reset all Junk Mail "learned" settings.
Check this link which includes information on how the filter works which is much more sophisticated that filtering on words alone.
http://www.macdevcenter.com/pub/a/mac/2004/05/18/spam_pt2.html