Subject: Re: forged bounces causing unsubscribes?
To: None <current-users@NetBSD.org>
From: Art Lemasters <slemas1@mindspring.com>
List: current-users
Date: 03/03/2004 15:01:54
Wolfgang S. Rupprecht wrote:
> <#secure method=pgpmime mode=sign>
> gr@eclipsed.net (gabriel rosenkoetter) writes:
> 
>>On Thu, Feb 26, 2004 at 10:58:12PM +0100, Florian St?hr wrote:
>>
>>>Well, I was kicked off the mailing list because my mailserver refused lots
>>>of spam coming from the current-users list.
>>
>>While it would be nice if this didn't cause unsubscriptions, you
>>really shouldn't ever bounce spam. It doesn't do any good: the
>>envelope sender isn't responsible for someone forging their email
>>address, if it's even a valid email address. Just drop it on the
>>floor instead.
> 
> 
> It doesn't only happen with bounces.  It happens when one *rejects*
> spam with a 550.
> 
> IMHO quietly dropping messages is the wrong thing to do.  One should
> always reject them at the SMTP level so that the sender (if they are
> legit) will find out about the rejection.  In the case of directly
> delivered spam, the sender will just quietly go onto the next message.
> They certainly aren't going to bother sending a bounce to the sender
> address they just forged.  That would just get them whacked.
> 
> -wolfgang

   I agree.

   Identity theft creeps are trying to use trojans now, in some
areas.  I can tell by the headers (short and clean) that they
are often directly sent.  They are beginning to outnumber
viruses in my geographical area.  Spammers are also behind
some of the new viruses.

   On a slow connection, the wait for these to download is far longer
than for regular mail.  I live in the "middle of nowhere" of a
mountainous area where there are no reasonable high feed situations.
MTA rejections use less bandwidth in the long run than does
acceptance.

   And as for reverse resolving,...

   It's easy enough to set up a nameserver, and domain names can be
bought for less than $10 (USD) per year now (one of mine for a
remote network from godaddy.com, for instance, but there are
probably many).  Thelist.com will show many ISPs (or local numbers
for those--to find one that will comply with writing those little,
bitty A records within only a few seconds) in just about any given
area.


Art