Date: Sun, 7 Sep 1997 18:17:27 -0700 From: John-Mark Gurney <gurney_j@efn.org> To: "Jonathan M. Bresler" <jmb@FreeBSD.ORG> Cc: Drew Derbyshire <ahd@kew.com>, hackers@hub.freebsd.org, support@kew.com Subject: Re: spam and the FreeBSD mailing lists Message-ID: <19970907181727.43084@hydrogen.nike.efn.org> In-Reply-To: <199709072335.QAA17881@hub.freebsd.org>; from Jonathan M. Bresler on Sun, Sep 07, 1997 at 04:35:42PM -0700 References: <341314D0.E22ADFF3@kew.com> <199709072335.QAA17881@hub.freebsd.org>
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Jonathan M. Bresler scribbled this message on Sep 7: > Drew Derbyshire wrote: > > > > Jonathan M. Bresler wrote: > > > therefore, we are not blocking mail from sites that can not be > > > resolved in the DNS. not that i dont want to, there are just too > > > many newbies out there that send mail to the lists. > > > > You really do want to enable that. > > > > First off, it really does kill much spam. > > > > Just as important, however, is that bounce messages just plain _don't_ > > _work_ for such users when they are legitimate, and a specific useful > > message reporting that the host cannot be resolved is going to do more > > to solve their (or their ISP's) long term problem with lost bounces more > > than blindly accepting mail which doesn't have a valid address. > > > > The TCP/IP protocol implicitly requires public IP address to be properly > > registered to be routed (otherwise, you don't get your ACK's back!), > > please remember to distinguish between "mail from:" addresses > and relays. there is *not* reasone that i know of that a > "mail from:" address must be resolvable. > if the "don't get your ACK's ba" they cant establish the TCP > session in order to transfer the mail in the first place. actually.. yes it does... the mail from: is exactly that... the return path... i.e. if it isn't resolvable, then it's not a valid return path... now if you provide a uucp address.. then it's a bit harder to verify that it's valid... > > there is no sin in requiring public e-mail addresses registered as well. > > > > Note too, that newbies tend to not start with e-mail from their own > > sites, they use their existing connection (Windows connected to an ISP > > POP3 server or whatever) to get up and then migrate. I've handled > > e-mail support for UUPC/extended for ~ 8 years, I've watched the pattern > > for that long -- my help desk is now reading this over my shoulder, and > > her comment is "Yup -- and that any list which is spammed is less > > helpful". > > you may well be correct about this...i am still learning the > email game even though i have been postmaster for over two years. > things keep changing and there is always more to learn > i may change the check_relay ruleset to require DNS resolution. ;) personally... I think that it isn't bad any more... considering how easy it is to fix, (I posted the fix a couple days ago) I'm actually heading twards the end that forces it to resolve... :) ttyl.. -- John-Mark Gurney Modem/FAX: +1 541 683 6954 Cu Networking Live in Peace, destroy Micro$oft, support free software, run FreeBSD
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