> On 11 Nov 2022, at 11:33, Alessandro Vesely <[email protected]> wrote:
> 
> On Fri 11/Nov/2022 10:23:44 +0100 Laura Atkins wrote:
>>> On 11 Nov 2022, at 05:04, Scott Kitterman <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> [...]
>>> 
>>> For those that have been around for awhile this reminds me of the now long 
>>> dead controversy about closing open relays.  It's not identical, but I 
>>> think it rhymes.
>>> Back in the mists of the early Internet we didn't have submission services 
>>> because any client could send email via (most) any MTA, so they weren't 
>>> needed.  As you can imagine, spamming was incredibly easy and the community 
>>> gradually came around to the point that you can't just relay email for 
>>> anyone, an MTA should serve authorized users (I oversimplify here).  As 
>>> this consensus was being developed, a substantial number of MTA operators 
>>> objected.  Eventually, being an open relay meant no one would take mail 
>>> from you.
>>> This seems similar.
>> I was around for the open relay discussions and I don’t see the parallels.
> 
> 
> I do.
> 
> Going to a mailbox provider (MP[*]), obtain an email address, and send a 
> message from it is paralleled to going to an open relay and send a message 
> through it.  The only differences are (1) the From: domain is constrained by 
> the MP, and (2) the MP requires me to interact with their web server in order 
> to setup an address.  They both seem negligible to me.
> 
> The MP limits the volume of messages that a user can send out.  However, by 
> signing even one message, it takes the responsibility for its content.  

This appears to be the disconnect. The MP takes responsibility for the 
*MESSAGE* - that message, sent to that user. 

> After all, DKIM was designed to allow discernment based on domain name rather 
> than IP address.  No surprise that someone can abuse a domain name through 
> different IP addresses.  A hasty and imprudent signature could easily cause 
> risks.
> 
> Now, why does the MP take responsibility for unknown content?

They don’t. They take responsibility for the message. 

> If we extend the open relays parallel, we'd forecast that allowing anonymous 
> users to freely setup (hundreds of) email addresses has to come to an end.  
> Do MPs know the people they provide email services to?  If they do, they can 
> afford the risk to put their reputation in their hands.
> 
> IOW, the simple solution is that free MPs send messages unsigned except for 
> people they trust.

Just so I’m clear what you’re suggesting, what I’m hearing you say is that from 
Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft should be sent without a DKIM signature in the 
absence of some proof of identity for the sender?

> [*] Previous messages use ESP, which I tend to associate to operators like 
> Mailchimp, say, rather than Gmail.  I had a hard time trying to understand 
> why ESPs would let folks send a single opt-in message...   Is it me?

Why wouldn’t they? I sent myself a test message to make sure it was right 
before triggering the send to a larger list (and, BTW, Mailchimp actually 
limits the number of tests you can do). It’s basic QA. 

laura

-- 
The Delivery Experts

Laura Atkins
Word to the Wise
[email protected]         

Email Delivery Blog: http://wordtothewise.com/blog      






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