Re: [exim] Re: Thoughts on Open Relays

Marc Perkel wrote:

[snip]

> And - this is something I can provide with 100% spam blocking
> so it can't be abused by comercial interests.

There is no such thing as 100% spam blocking, I don't care how
clever your systems are. Opening your self up for open relaying
will attract more spam traffic, garenteed. Once a server is found
it is passed among the spammer community and abused as long as it
stays 'abusable'.

You are setting yourself up for a fall. Although I kinda of see
where you are coming from with your 'fluffy' view of how nice it
would be to provide open relay services, it just isn't going to
work in practice. It will come back to haunt you (either in the
form of disrespect from the internet community, ending up in
blacklists, or god forbid allowing spammers to use your services).
Spammers are not idle in being proactive about foiling spam systems,
with their ever changing, ever adaptive methods to get around the
spam traps mail admins setup around the world.

As somebody has previously stated, a 100% effective spam system is
just 'pie in the sky', and if there was such a thing you should be
trying to sell it as a product as everyone on the internet would
want it.

My home computer gets nearly all spam (just short of a percent
spam). Yet at the ISP at which I work, in places where we often
have more facist rules, we get spam at a much greater 20 or more
percent. My point is that if you are opening yourself to be an
open relay the change in _volume_ of mail will be the deciding
factor in breaking your 100% spam proof system.

It's a warm fluffy idea, that in reality has too many negative side
effects and carries way too much bad stigma to boot.

just my 2ps worth.

D.