>From: tooleym@douglas.bc.ca
>Date: Tue, 25 Nov 1997 12:33:25 -0800 (PST)
>
>Is there any way that these mass-mailings can be stopped? I understand
>killfiles fine, and can filter them out easily enough from my end,
>however, there is always the chance that my killfiles might catch
>something that is not from these mass-mailers, and thus reduce actual
>signal instead of reducing noise. Current-users owner, please! The
>frequency of these mass-postings to the current-users list is not only
>off-topic, but should be stopped completely!

I agree and sympathize (and I am the unofficial NetBSD "spam czar",
hence this reply), but doing so is not as simple as it may appear.

>I'm advocating that you ban the mail servers which originate these
>messages from posting into the current-users..  or at least the domains of
>the original senders, and the mail servers which allow anonymous postings.

Unfortunately this is not always possible.  For instance, one recent
example (Subject: Here it is....) was received from a mailserver in
the ix.netcom.com domain.  When I complained to Netcom about it, I got
back the following:

N>The spam you have received is not from us. It has been relayed by one of 
N>our servers, but was not generated by a NETCOM customer. NETCOM allows 
N>it's relays to be open to allow our users easier more standardized setup 
N>processes and for our global roaming service. 
N>
N>Spam being sent through these relays is an issue we are corrently addressing.

I can't forbid access to ix.netcom.com servers without possibly
cutting off legitimate Netcom subscribers.

>They aren't even registered in the lists--how can they be allowed to post
>to it?

I am not a member of core, and hence cannot speak for netbsd.org, but
as far as I know current policy is that anyone can post to netbsd.org
lists.
-- 
Mike Long <mikel@shore.net>                http://www.shore.net/~mikel
"Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands,
hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." -- H.L. Mencken