I'm sure Chris will add his thoughts on the subject, but my thoughts on the subject are probably close enough to his to qualify.
Most RBLs are run as strict vigilante justice. In many cases, your servers are added to them without any notification to that effect, and you only find out after troubleshooting for hours why you can't send mail to specific domains. More often than not, the testing methodology isn't revealed, so even if you do find out that you're listed, you don't always know why. They rarely have consistent interfaces for getting listed servers removed. In most cases, the best you can do is send an email and tell them to retest. Which goes back to them not publishing the test methodology. This round robin process can take days to fix. There is at least one major RBL that acknowledges a vendetta against one of the top 5 ISPs in the world, and as such will not only list specific mail server IPs, they choose to list entire netblocks, and adjacent netblocks. It is common for people who are not spammers nor open relays to be blocked. >From a business perspective, which is worse - getting spam or not getting valid business mail? One common problem is valid businesses with less experienced admins end up on RBLs all the time, and as such, their mail traffic doesn't get delivered to people filtering with RBLs. That being said, we currently do use Spamcop.net's RBL, and are fairly happy with it. I'd say there haven't been more than 1-2 cases in 6 months where valid mail has been rejected, but I sure see a lot of spam rejects. Not all of it, but that's why we make sure the delete keys work on all our keyboards. And I didn't even want to use Spamcop at first. Spam sucks, but most RBLs are bad medicine. Roger ------------------------------------------------------ Roger D. Seielstad - MCSE Sr. Systems Administrator Inovis - Formerly Harbinger and Extricity Atlanta, GA > -----Original Message----- > From: David Gibbons [mailto:David.Gibbons@;Calibercollision.com] > Sent: Monday, November 04, 2002 6:52 PM > To: Exchange Discussions > Subject: RE: RBL's > > > Mr. Scharff, > > I understand that you're currently a bit jaded with this topic (or you > could be enjoying yourself not sure... The email intonation > module on my > pc is broken *grin*). But, would you mind taking a moment to > explain or > send links to previous explanations as to why RBL is not a good idea? > With the research that I have conducted I cannot find any > serious issues > with it. Of course I'm missing quite a lot of first hand > knowledge with > this technology since I have yet to incorporate within my test > environment. > > I fear that I might be apart of that 32% your talking about > and wish to... > um... well... *shrug* not be. > > > Thanks for the input! > David > > > Perhaps you should read your e-mails before you send them. > Just cause > > you wrote something down and it sounds one way in your head doesn't > > meant that it will sound the same way on the other end. > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > [mailto:bounce-exchange-97309@;ls.swynk.com] On Behalf Of > Chris Scharff > > Sent: Monday, November 04, 2002 1:02 PM > > To: Exchange Discussions > > Subject: RE: RBL's > > > > > > I guess the #include humor.h module wasn't loaded for you > this morning. > > I'd suggest that the spelling remark was only rude to a > subset of the > > 32% of admins who actually could spell RBL and thus > understood the barb. > > As a journalism major, with an English minor I am quite > concerned about > > any grammatical errors I might have made in the comment you are > > referring to. Would you please be so kind as to point out my grammar > > errors so that I might endeavor to eliminate them from my future > > postings? > > > > Now, as to your point that my statement that of the 32% of mail > > administrators who can spell RBL many are unable to comprehend the > > implications of it: I've made more than 8,000 replies in > various public > > forums in the last 12 months. I've read over 50,000 threads > during that > > same period. It's been a relatively slow year for me, but even if we > > take those low water numbers back 4 years it's still a fairly > > substantial number of administrators and posts that I've > encountered. > > Based on that vast experience with and exposure to mail > administrators > > around the world, I find it highly likely that 16% or more of mail > > administrators don't understand fully the implications of the RBL > > technology they are using and or advocating. > > > > It has nothing to do with being smart or dumb. It has to do > with being > > knowledgeable about a particular issue or technology. My > comments were > > not directed at any particular individual user on this list and were > > more accurately a diatribe against the technology than > those who choose > > to implement it. I'm sorry you chose to misinterpret my comments. > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Walsh, Ric [mailto:Walshr@;national-citymortgage.com] > > > Sent: Monday, November 04, 2002 1:52 PM > > > To: Exchange Discussions > > > > > > Ok your "spelling" remark was rude to all of us. > > > > > > You following remark despite it's poor grammar seems to > say that the > > > rest of us are dumber that you. I'd have to say that it > was ALL rude. > > > > > > Ric Walsh > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > From: Walsh, Ric > > > > Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2002 10:32 AM > > > > To: Exchange Discussions > > > > Subject: RE: RBL's > > > > > > > > Ok what makes you such a wizard? Also add the word rude > to that. > > > > Have > > > you > > > > though of taking an anger management class? > > > > > > > > Ric Walsh > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > > From: Chris Scharff [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > > > > Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2002 5:22 PM > > > > > To: Exchange Discussions > > > > > Subject: RE: RBL's > > > > > > > > > > I'd guess 68% or more of mail admins are unable to > even spell RBL. > > > > > > > The majority of the remainder is unable to comprehend the > > > > > implications of > > > > the > > > > > functionality on their environment, whether they > understand how it > > > > > > > actually works or not. > > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > > > From: William Lefkovics [mailto:william@;techsanctuary.org] > > > > > > Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2002 4:16 PM > > > > > > To: Exchange Discussions > > > > > > Subject: RE: RBL's > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > That's a little harsh. (I love it when you're harsh...) > > > > > > > > > > > > Do you mean they are not aware of it, or they are unable to > > > > > > comprehend its functionality? > > > > > > > > > > > > William > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > [mailto:bounce-exchange-104116@;ls.swynk.com] On > Behalf Of Chris > > > > > > Scharff > > > > > > Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2002 1:49 PM > > > > > > To: Exchange Discussions > > > > > > Subject: RE: RBL's > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 97.25% of mail admins are too stupid to understand > what an RBL > > > > > > actually is/does. I for one hope they continue to > rely on 3rd > > > > > > parties to provide the functionality, otherwise > I'll likely have > > > > > > > > to join you in phoning stupid admins to tell them > why RBL $foo > > > > > > is costing their company business. > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > Chris Scharff, MVP MCSE > > > > > > EMS Sales Engineer > > > > > > MessageOne > > > > > > 512.652.4500 x-244 > > > > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > > > > From: Darcy Adams [mailto:Darcy.Adams@;gettyimages.com] > > > > > > > Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2002 3:42 PM > > > > > > > To: Exchange Discussions > > > > > > > Subject: RE: RBL's > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Still 3rd party. I was at a meeting at MS on > Monday night and > > > > > > > > > the current stance on that is that they're > "thinking about > > > > > > > possibly" including RBL support in a future release. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Darcy > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > > > > From: Matt Natkin [mailto:mnatkin@;natco-inc.com] > > > > > > > Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2002 1:50 PM > > > > > > > To: Exchange Discussions > > > > > > > Subject: RBL's > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hey does exchange 2k have a rbl feature or is > this 3rd party? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > > > > > List posting FAQ: > > http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq.htm > > > > > > Archives: > > http://www.swynk.com/sitesearch/search.asp > > > > > > To unsubscribe: mailto:leave-exchange@;ls.swynk.com > > > > > > Exchange List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > > > > > List posting FAQ: > > http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq.htm > > > > > > Archives: > > http://www.swynk.com/sitesearch/search.asp > > > > > > To unsubscribe: mailto:leave-exchange@;ls.swynk.com > > > > > > Exchange List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > > > > List posting FAQ: > http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq.htm > > > > > Archives: > http://www.swynk.com/sitesearch/search.asp > > > > > To unsubscribe: mailto:leave-exchange@;ls.swynk.com > > > > > Exchange List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > > > List posting FAQ: > http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq.htm > > > > Archives: > http://www.swynk.com/sitesearch/search.asp > > > > To unsubscribe: mailto:leave-exchange@;ls.swynk.com > > > > Exchange List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > > List posting FAQ: http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq.htm > > > Archives: http://www.swynk.com/sitesearch/search.asp > > > To unsubscribe: mailto:leave-exchange@;ls.swynk.com > > > Exchange List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > List posting FAQ: http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq.htm > > Archives: http://www.swynk.com/sitesearch/search.asp > > To unsubscribe: mailto:leave-exchange@;ls.swynk.com > > Exchange List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > _________________________________________________________________ > List posting FAQ: http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq.htm > Archives: http://www.swynk.com/sitesearch/search.asp > To unsubscribe: mailto:leave-exchange@;ls.swynk.com > Exchange List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > _________________________________________________________________ List posting FAQ: http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq.htm Archives: http://www.swynk.com/sitesearch/search.asp To unsubscribe: mailto:leave-exchange@;ls.swynk.com Exchange List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
