Using the new automatic URL tracking system is easy (if you have a browser and OS which supports it). Each time you submit a spam to SpamCop, it generates a unique URL which can be used to review (and even re-submit) your complaint. This URL contains the unique serial number assigned to your spam. You can drag these links from your browser window onto your desktop or into a folder. When you do this, the name of the file/shortcut/URL will be something like "SpamCop ID:248". This same ID is part of the subject line of the complaint. This way when you get responses from different ISPs, you can match up the response with the original complaint and 'file' it accordingly. Either delete the icon when the issue is resolved, or move it to a different folder.

Here is an email from MCI explaining why some ISPs ignore annonymized complaints:

Julian,
     Just curious why a spam complaint software package would include
anonymous sending.  You might want to include something with your software
package advising users that if they do choose to send their complaints
anonymously, many abuse departments do not process anonymous complaints.  We
do not and I know of a number of other abuse departments who do not either.
--[next email]--
     The primary problem with the anonymous complaints is the C.Y.A.
syndrome.  Not all complaints that come in are valid and some can be bogus
attempts by people to get other people in trouble.  Its primarily a
precaution on our end to ensure that if an account does get suspended, we
have a legitimate complaint and source to trace back to.  Or at least one
that can be considered reasonably valid if this should happen and we get
involved in a lawsuit.  If that happened and we knew it originated from an
anonymous source, we'd pretty much be left hanging in the wind.
     Another reason is that some of the complaints that come in are not
complete.  While your SpamCop program does a good job of giving an ISP/NSP
the info it needs, others use outdated or home-grown programs which leave
off information we'd need to process the complaint.  Actual headers, time
zones, and things like that.  With no valid means of contacting the people
for the additional information, we can't process those complaints.
     In our case (wcom.net domain) we're not an ISP but rather a Network
Service Provider (NSP) who sells network access to ISP's (AOL, CompuServe,
SPRY, etc...).  In cases like the spam complaints, we'll identify which one
of our network customers the account in question belongs to and refer it to
the appropriate security team of that customer for suspension/termination.
Because of this, we do need some sort of 'evidence' to pass along of the
users actions, which usually means the entire spam message is sent.  They're
good about whacking the bad accounts, but do require some sort of evidence
on their end as well before they can whack an account, otherwise they'd be
risking legal problems as well.  The joys of the American legal system .
     Its a shame we can't just accept the complaints as they come in like
the anonymous ones.  But the risks of potential legal trouble we could get
in is greater.  However, more then likely the account being complained about
has already been identified by another complaint and will be suspended, so
its not like the spammers are going to be getting off scott-free.

Craig Card
MCI WorldCom Advanced Networks
Network Security Analyst

Theoretically, SpamCop could complain to administrators who are responsible for systems with email and/or website addresses mentioned in the spam email itself. I debate whether this would be a good idea, or even a good option.

The problem with doing this is that I would be using data from the spam email itself which is totally untrusted. A spammer could discredit me by loading a spam with all kinds of addresses like whitehouse.gov, cnn.com etc. "This product was recently reviewed in www.nytimes.com". Typically if there are addresses in the spam, they are for the spammer's drop-box or web-site, but this is hardly a sure bet and it's definitely not proof of blame. For now, I have decided not to implement this type of feature.

There are many possible reasons for this message. Basically, there are two main categories:

Notice the line marked in yellow. This is the only part of the header that SpamCop cares about. This is called a received line. Some email has only one received line, some has more than one. Every time the email makes a 'hop' from one server on the internet to another, one more received line is added. It can be used to track the email back along it's path to the origin. Without this information, SpamCop can do nothing. All the other information in the header is suspect (it can be faked). Received lines cannot be faked (or at least when they are it is usually detectable).