When I was in the midst of my battle against SPEWS and Admins who thought it was the best thing since sliced bread I discovered a few things.
1) Many of the admins using it had never mentioned this to their managers. I learned this by contacting the managers and hearing, more often than not, "that's the email admins call". 2) Many that had management approval had been *told* to implement. 3) Many of them were managers - they were running their own ISP or were otherwise the only personal accountable for email. And they claimed their customers liked losing some legitimate mail in return for not receiving spam. Direct contact to their customers proved this statement to be incorrect, at least in the case of the customers I contacted. 4) There were also quite a few who understood white lists, and were willing to add us. A few of those decided to drop SPEWS from their list. -----Original Message----- From: Andy David [mailto:davida@;vss.com] Sent: Tuesday, November 05, 2002 2:38 AM To: Exchange Discussions Subject: RE: RBL's I would hope that most administrators would have the approval of the "higher-ups" before implementing any system that utilized a RBL. -----Original Message----- From: Martin Blackstone [mailto:MBlackstone@;superioraccess.com] Sent: Monday, November 04, 2002 10:16 PM To: Exchange Discussions Subject: RE: RBL's This is exactly the kind of stuff that happens. And when your boss comes screaming to you that he missed an important email, he isn't likely to give one bit of a damn about an RBL. He is more likely to give a damn about how YOU screwed up and cost the company a deal. -----Original Message----- From: Chris Scharff [mailto:chris_scharff@;messageone.com] Sent: Monday, November 04, 2002 5:41 PM To: Exchange Discussions Subject: RE: RBL's Hopefully this e-mail message will get through. I fear that the most technically useful portions of this thread may have been blocked by your company's overzealous content filter. If you administer the postmaster mailbox, I'm sure you've seen my comments on your server's filter settings. Actually, your company's content filters provide a useful analogy to the RBL situation. In the case of your content filters, no matter how crappy they are, you've decided to implement them in the manner you currently find them. You can further refine the criteria you use for filtering messages as you choose. When you choose to use an RBL, you are subject to the criteria that some random entity has decided is appropriate to filter messages bound for your domain. There's no guarantee that the RBL you are using isn't run by some zealot who cares more about making statements than blocking spam. And when his interests and those of your business collide, it is likely your business will be the one to suffer. I am aware of too many examples of legitimate mail being blocked by numerous RBLs. Look at your typical Domain Hosting Provider, they put 200 domains on the same server and spread them over 10 IPs. 10 domains per IP... 1 loser spammer on the IP you share with 9 other folks and suddenly you are unable to send mails to the vendor you'd like to spend $10 million with. Wonder if any other vendors want your money. As to links... the SPEWS FAQ http://www.spews.org/faq.html is a great place to start. Q41: How does one contact SPEWS? A41: One does not. SPEWS does not receive email - it's just an automated system and website, general blocklist related issues can be discussed in the public forums mentioned above. The newsgroup news.admin.net-abuse.email (NANAE) is a good choice, and Google makes it quite easy to post messages there via the Web as M@ilGate does via email. First time newsgroup posters should read the NANAE FAQ. Note that posting messages in these newsgroups & lists will not have any effect on SPEWS listings, only the discontinuation of spam and/or spam support will. Be aware that posting ones email address to any publicly viewable forum or website makes it instantly available to spammers. If you're concerned about getting spammed, change or "mung" the email address you use to post with. Q42: My IP address/range is being listed by SPEWS but I'm not a spammer and I just signed up for this/these address(s). What can I do to be removed from the list? A42: SPEWS is just an automated system, if spam or spam involvement (hosting spammers, selling spamware) from your IP address/range ceases, it will drop out of the list in time. Normally the listing involves spam related problems with your host and the first step you need to take is to complain to them about the listing, in almost all cases, they are the only people who can get an address/range out of the SPEWS list. If there is a spam related problem with your host, their IP address/range will not be removed until it is resolved. If your host or network is certain a listing mistake has been made, ask them to read this FAQ then post a message in a public forum mentioned above with the SPEWS record number (eg. S123) and/or the IP address/range information in it. Placing the text "SPEWS:" in the subject can help a SPEWS editor or developer see the message and they may double check the listing - note that, although others may, no SPEWS editor or developer will ever reply to the posting. Will this get your IP address/range removed from a SPEWS listing? Again, not if there are currently spam related problems with your host. Be aware that posting ones email address to any publicly viewable forum or website makes it instantly available to spammers. If you're concerned about getting spammed, change or "mung" the email address you use to post with. > -----Original Message----- > From: David Gibbons [mailto:David.Gibbons@;Calibercollision.com] > Sent: Monday, November 04, 2002 5:52 PM > To: Exchange Discussions > > 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] _________________________________________________________________ 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] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The information contained in this email message is privileged and confidential information intended only for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. 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