On Tue, 04 Sep 2001 10:18:20 -0500, Samuel W. Heywood wrote:
<snip>
> Is the virus checker also supposed to prevent subscribers from
> *sending* viruses?
No. That would interfer big time with SMTP functions. Remember
that SMTP servers don't just receive and move mail from the ISP members.
> Another question: Does the virus checker cause long delays
> between the time an email message addressed to you is received by
> your ISP and the time your email message becomes available for you
> to download? It would seem that incoming email messages would
> tend to be delayed for a while if all messages received by your ISP
> would have to be queued into the virus checker for processing
> before they could become available for download by the addressees.
Maybe on a MicroSoft disempowered server it would be a significant
time delay, but not on a server running Apache and the fastest SCSI HDDs
and more RAM than you would think could ever be used. It takes less
time to scan a message than it takes to key/click "send mail" & then
"get new mail."
As to why more ISPs don't use it ... that is dependent upon their
customer base, their OS, the ability level of their techs, and whether
or not the customers expect 100% uncensored/unscreened/privacy-first
service. [Those things don't normally exist, but most customers don't
realize it ...]
l.d.
-- Arachne V1.70;rev.3, NON-COMMERCIAL copy, http://arachne.cz/
