Thank you for your response. I fear that you (whoever you are, "AB") and I
will have to agree to disagree about this matter.
I didn't say it was impossible for a smarthost manager to comply with ORBS'
standards. I said it was "VERY difficult ... to avoid getting tagged". Your
response -- that you give them "several days" to comply with your standards
-- doesn't avoid the difficulties of having to police EVERY client they sell
service to. I stand by my opinion.
Really, I don't want to turn this into an extended debate. My complete
posting to the linux-newbie list explained why I think ORBS' current
approach has some problems, problems that hit particularly hard on beginners
with dial-up accounts. The confusion of the poster who I was responding to
-- he apparently spend a considerable amount of time trying to fix his MUA,
not understanding that the problem had NOTHING to do with him (other than
his bad luck in selecting an ISP on your open-relay list) -- illustrates
well the ways in which ORBS' approach burdens innocent bystanders.
Personally, while I understand your motivations, and even sympathize to a
large degree, I end up believing that the burdens ORBS imposes on the
innocent outweigh the benefits it offers in combatting spam. For that
reason, I will not use or otherwise support your effort, and I will warn
people about the unintended consequences of ORBS' use on beginners. In the
end, the marketplace of users will decide, and that's fine with me.
Should I get any appreciable number of responses to my offer to compile a
list of people who can no longer reach the linux-newbie mailing list, I will
copy you on that posting so you will know the magnitude of the (presumably)
inintended consequences of your approach, at least in one specific use of
the database.
At 01:32 AM 1/19/00 +1300, ORBS catchall account wrote:
>On Mon, 17 Jan 2000, Ray Olszewski wrote:
>
>> My problem: vger seems recently to have subscribed to the ORBS database of
>> open relays and to have begun screening incoming mail based on that list,
>> rejecting mail that comes from sites ORBS has tagged as open relays.
>> Unfortunately, ORBS' method of identifying a host as an open relay makes it
>> VERY difficult for an ISP's "smart host" relays to avoid getting tagged.
>
>Um, no.
>
>Any smarthost detected is given several days notice of impending
>inclusion in the database. Direct open relays are added instantly.
>
>If an ISP can't police open relays feeding into their smarthost
>well enough to nail things within 3-5 days, then it really is time
>to go looking for a new ISP.
>
>AB
------------------------------------"Never tell me the odds!"---
Ray Olszewski -- Han Solo
Palo Alto, CA [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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