The fact I find amazing is that you don't even block the closest range containing the IPs spamming you(with the assumption they are in use by the same entity). You block an entire class C and possibly dozens of innocent subranges because of the spam from 1 of the subranges. And you can say "It's THEIR problem, THEY fix it" but if the email you are blocking is from, for example, expedia, like another list user had happen, and YOUR client doesn't get their eTicket, and missed their flight, who are they going to blame? The server that TRIED to send the mail but couldn't because they HAPPEN to be on a class C with a spammer, or the server that BLOCKED it?
I would have no disagreement with your policy if you tried to block a small subnet containing the offending IPs and sent an email to the owner alerting them to the spam and your block and only unblocking after a satasfactory response. But to block an ENTIRE class C and not even give the owner a 'heads-up' on the block & spam, is a little extreme of a response to receiving spam from a few IPs from the same class C. You say "What he does to other MXs is his business and their problem, not mine", but most of the people on this list(including you) are trying to help other with their problems. Sure contacting the owner to let them know about the spam isn't goint to turn the tide on spam, but it may help cut the flow a little. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Len Conrad" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2003 3:13 PM Subject: Re: [IMail Forum] Blocking spam > > >It is EASY to lookup who owns(or is responsible) for a specific IP, and thus > >contact them about the spam, which you seem to indicate you DON'T bother > >doing. > > I DON'T bother. Who has the time to waste? And if you do waste YOUR time > to look it up, what are (lotto-like) chances that you'll get any response > from the "contact"? > > And, even better, what are the chances YOUR wasted time is going to change , > improve?, anything anywhere for YOUR mail server and your users from the > "contact"? zilch > > >If after contact they do nothing THEN block their range. > > Right, that "lookup/try to contact/wait/then block" process scales right up > to how many times per day? Who has the time? Who has the desire? > > How many times have you followed your own advice? > > That _dict filter I referred to has 1300 Class Cs and 14K IPs in it, you > expect me to follow your process even just the 1300 times? > > >You say "the operator of the Class C has not policed his clients, and now he > >pays", but if he isn't notified about the spam then how can he police it? > > His legit IP clients can't send mail to my MX (actually, there's very > little chance of this ever occurring) That's MY kind of notify. It's THEIR > problem, THEY fix it. > > >By not at least contacting the owner of the IP you are > > ... NOT wasting my time. > > >potentially allowing a spammer to continue operations > > Not into my MX, he ain't. That's all I can control, my policies for the > traffic through my MX. > > >and thus becoming an unwitting accomplice. > > What he does to other MXs is his business and their problem, not mine. > > He's spams me and I'm supposed to get "involved", according to you? > > >Why not take your logic one step further and block ALL internet traffic when > >you receive spam? > > That's not my logic, obviously. But since it's your idea, you try it and > tell us how it works. > > Len > > > _____________________________________________________________________ > http://MenAndMice.com/DNS-training : London; San Jose; Orlando; Chicago > http://IMGate.MEIway.com : free anti-spam gateway, runs on 1000's of sites > > > To Unsubscribe: http://www.ipswitch.com/support/mailing-lists.html > List Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/imail_forum%40list.ipswitch.com/ > Knowledge Base/FAQ: http://www.ipswitch.com/support/IMail/ > To Unsubscribe: http://www.ipswitch.com/support/mailing-lists.html List Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/imail_forum%40list.ipswitch.com/ Knowledge Base/FAQ: http://www.ipswitch.com/support/IMail/
