>-----Original Message----- >From: Carl R. Friend [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Sent: Friday, June 04, 2004 7:25 AM >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: Re: [sort of OT] Sendmail and RBLs > > > On Thu, 3 Jun 2004, Jeff Chan wrote: > >> On Thursday, June 3, 2004, 2:38:40 PM, Joseph Kang wrote: >> >> > Um... The ability to use DNS RBL checks have been in >sendmail for quite some >> > time now. If you don't agree with it, take it up with the sendmail >> > developers. >> >> Or just don't use it. You can always not use RBLs in sendmail >> (or other MTA) and instead check against RBLs in SpamAssassin and >> then be able to adjust the scores there. Using RBLs in the MTA >> is a binary decision: drop at the transport level or not. > > I'll second Jeff's comment here. RBLs as implemented in >Sendmail are a binary decision. Either we *accept* this message >or we *do not* (before we even get to the "MAIL FROM:" clause). >This can lead to serious consequences, especially with very broad >RBLs like SPEWS. I used to think that RBLs were a great idea at >the MTA level, but having seen a lot of problems with them (mainly >in the level of trust one has in whatever RBL one is using) I'm >now of the opinion that blocking at the MTA-level because of an >RBL listing (unless *YOU* are maintaing the RBL and accept full >responsibility for it) is a poor practise.
Well I opened a can of Worms :) But I'll say this, I am VERY happy with Blocking by RBL at the MTA level. But I would have ONLY done this under these 2 conditions: 1) I was extremely picky with my RBLs. (Although I do use spamcop.) 2) delay_checks. Without this I NEVER would have decided to block at MTA. I block 1/3rd of all email traffic. And I can see the logs of the spammers trying. My messages are usually polite and infomative on who to contact to get off the block. Also many companies didn't even know they were blacklisted and I worked with them to help them get off the RBL. So some companies have been thankful I blocked then ;) True there is always the the chance a new client might turn away from our company if their initial email is bounced. Especially when we deal with lots of people who use English as a second lanquage, and may not understand bounced messages. But I can't run the network based on exceptions. I think I've had to use delay_checks only 4 times so far. Pretty good compared to the amount they block :-) --Chris (Damn you Calgary Flames!)
