New subject: OT: Mail servers changes (INFO)

23 Feb 2000

Hans Franke wrote:
...

  We have recently made changes to our mail servers
here that may possibly
 affect some list users. In our ongoing effort to limit SPAM, our mail
 servers were recently configured to utilitize the MAPS RBL, DUL, and RSS
 databases (see www.mail-abuse.org for details).
 [...] (ie. they are "open relays"). [...]
 [...] We really really really dislike spam, and feel that this action is
 wholly appropriate.  
 First of all, I realy apreciate your efforts to reduce SPAM,
 and I feel that choosing your system was a real good isea.

 Just, I have a bad feeling about droping esential parts of
 free networking - the shareing of resources. Only because
 some Jerks missuse them. It's like puting an expiration
 date on the driver licence and ask for renewal just because
 some guys like to drive slow on the left lane. Or to ban
 free speech just because some idiots don't know eht hey say ? 
I wholeheartedly support this MAPS RBL, et al, blocking.

The simple fact-of-the-matter is, open relays are wrong.  They are
the result of bad administration and serve no purpose other than
to provide spammers the mechanism to operate anonymously.

Performing this SPAM blocking not only protects the subscribers of
a list from the resultant abuse of mismanaged mail servers, it forces
legitimate operators of mail systems to properly administrate their
machines.

If a subscriber finds themselves receiving reject responses to their
submissions, they should receive within the reject reason a reference
to the URL for the service which has listed them or their mail relay
as a SPAM source or Open Relay.  The submitter should either correct
their local problem, or notify their ISP or mail server administration
of the issue.  The SPAM/anti-relay database servers all provide for
quick and fair consideration for removal from these lists once the
blocking issue is resolved.

To say that this will "ban free speech" is totally unwarranted.
There is absolutely no reason for an open relay EXCEPT to facilitate
spam.  The InterNet is much too sophisticated for any claim of
necessity for such a facility.  Anonymity is not a factor in Free
Speech.

I applaud this action, and encourage everyone with the ability to
have their mail agents interract with the MAPS RBL, and other databases,
to fully support and integrate this spam-blocking service.  

Respectfully,
Scott G. Taylor
--
Scott G. Akmentins-Taylor     InterNet: staylor(a)mrynet.com
MRY Systems			        staylor(a)mrynet.lv
    (Skots Gregorijs Akmentins-Teilors -- just call me "Skots")
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