On Wed, 29 Nov 2000 20:33:34 -0700 (MST), Steve Linux User wrote:

> On Thu, 30 Nov 2000, Richard Menedetter wrote:

>> I have the same problem, but no solution .... :(((
>> It seems that the user part of the email address is allways the current
>> user, and thet there's no way to change that :(

> This is desirable.   Imagine you're running an ISP and your
> customers can simply change their e-mail names at will.  Many
> would believe they could send anonymous mail, and might be tempted
> to send spam under an assumed name, which you, the administrator
> would then have to deal with.

<snip>

Most email clients, including Arachne's Insight mailer will allow a sender
to change whatever appears in the "From" line.  Doing this does not easily
enable one to get away with sending SPAM.  The real email address of the
sender can be readily traced simply by examining the "full message headers".

There exist some perfectly legitimate reasons for one's wanting to change
his email address as it appears in the "From" line.  Suppose for example
that you want to post a message to a newsgroup.  You wouldn't want a
spambot to easily harvest your email address simply by reading all the
"From" lines.  If I wanted to post to a newsgroup, then it might make sense
to use as a "From" line "[EMAIL PROTECTED]".  This would foil most
spambots, but a real person would easily be able to figure out how to
address a message to me.  Of course I don't object to receiving real
messages from real live people who wish to comment about my post, but I
certainly don't want to receive any garbage from an inanimate spaminator.

All the best,

Sam Heywood
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