[Techtalk] sendmail/RBL question (linuxchix)

[Kai MacTane]

At 3/28/02 02:29 PM , Linda Laubenheimer wrote:

>Since my response to this email concerns Paul Vixie, I have CC'd him
>on this email.  It's only fair.

Indeed it is. I've trimmed newchix and Paul Vixie back off the address 
list, but if someone else feels like forwarding this to either of them, I 
give permission.

>It seems like the list owner has more problems than just being unable
>to stop spammers to the list.  He may be running an open relay.  As I
>recall, only open relays end up RBL's, and the MAPS people actually
>test to see if the mail relay is actually open.

Indeed. I've just looked over the URL that was sent in, plus a few other 
places they linked to. I think it's interesting to note that none of those 
pages even mentions the words "open relay".


>Third, many people try to slam Paul and MAPS for the RBL and such.
>Most of these people are those too lazy, incompetent, or unethical
>to secure their open relays, which are what enable spammers to dump
>tons of cr at p in your mailbox.  Then they get all unhappy when they
>get RBL'd for being a spam-haven or spam enabler.

Exactly. "Hey, I didn't *personally* send any spam to anyone. So I'm 
innocent!" No, you just let your server spew a few million pieces of crap 
all over the Internet, including into my inbox. So I've decided not to 
accept any more mail from your server. "That's censorship!" No, that's *me* 
not listening to *you* anymore.

You have a right to say whatever you want without government interference. 
But you have no right to force anyone to listen to you.

I'd take some of these anti-RBL people a lot more seriously if they even 
knew what an open relay was.

                                                 --Kai MacTane
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"It can't rain all the time/Your tears won't fall forever"
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