Re: [Exim] local_scan(), content-scanning, multiple recipien…

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Author: Mike Richardson
Date:  
To: David Woodhouse
CC: James P. Roberts, exim-users
Subject: Re: [Exim] local_scan(), content-scanning, multiple recipients and bounces
> Not necessarily. If you were using SpamAssassin, for example, you could
> have the primary MTA do the scanning, and only look in the SA-added
> headers to see which tests matches, and recount the _points_ for each
> user, rather than doing the expensive part again.
>
> In fact, since SA-Exim already has a complete list of recipients, it
> could feasibly run SA once as it already does, but then perform the
> calculation (and thresholding) for every intended recipient, then reject
> the message only if _all_ listed recipients wanted to drop it.
>
> It's not clear what you'd do if at least one recipient does want to
> receive the mail -- you're lumbered with generating bounces for the rest
> if you actually accept the mail, but there's probably not a lot of other
> options. You can't reject it, and if you defer you'll only have the same
> problem again later -- unless you can get away with something weird like
> only accepting one recipient at a time from that host for the rest of
> the day.


I have to say that this is getting silly (no offence meant, its an
interesting approach.) If its so important to have users who can
opt-in or -out of spam scanning then why not simply just give them
the desktop tools and some training? The effort, cost and inconvenience
of the two approaches are probably comparable.

To me mailhubs are there to process mail as quickly and efficiently
as possible for the entire site. Per user settings and heavy duty
content filtering should be handled by an MDA - exim can do this of
course with user filters etc - not the MTA. I fear that coming up with
clever technical solutions to a problem which isn't that well defined
just creates more problems e.g congestion on hubs.

Giving users what they want is not always the best way to serve them.

Mike
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