----- Original Message ----- > Paul is hoping the JAMES team will come up with an RFC that solves the > inherent problems in SMTP that currently allows spammers to act with > impunity. Paul thinks this RFC should chart a path that renders all > current STMP servers wholly incompatible with that future.
The key thing about email is that it allows anyone to send email to anyone else. For example I could send email to danny directly or to Paul. Spammers abuse this freedom and it is not possible to take away this facility either with SMTP or with a protocol that follows SMTP. It is however possible to fight the abuse. In short, if this constraint is true: A mail mechanism must allow delivery to parties that may not know the sender or may not have a sure way to authenticate and authorize the sender. I don't see a way to perfectly block spam. I don't know if there is a silver bullet to solve the spam issue. I would love to hear ideas regarding this conundrum. To me SPAM is a multilayered problem and has to be faught at each level - More mail Servers need to be close relay. SMTP Auth is good. - Mail Rules, like those implemented by James Mailet architecture and other servers are useful. - Simpler and cheaper Public Key Infrastructure and ways to get identities. If everyone uses digital signatures it is easier to stop abuse. - Document the offenders. This is being done. Take a look at http://www.mail-abuse.org - Governments need to punish spammers. - ISPs, Servers, organization should consider spam a serious problem and make a serious effort to stop it. thoughts ... Harmeet -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For additional commands, e-mail: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
