We're beginning to have problems with email being bounced by anti-spam software. An issue that only came to my attention a week or two ago has quickly become a real problem. Private individuals are compiling lists of servers and ISPs who they believe allow spam to circulate through their networks. They've made these lists available to the public and various anti-spam programs have begun using them to filter messages.
When the managers of the lists think they've detected spam activity on a particular server or network, they add the network's entire range of addresses to their blacklists. The result is that, by the time a legitimate message has traversed the internet, its odds of avoiding all blacklisted networks have become slim to none. One of the blacklists I checked listed UUNET!
Even though our organization hasn't sent a single piece of marketing email, spam or otherwise, we're receiving an increasing number of bounces due to these blacklists. I can only guess that our customers assume we're ignoring their emails.
Clearly, the blacklisters goal is not so much to block spam as it is to pressure network administrators to be more active in the fight against it. They're counting on both recipients and senders of legitimate mail to complain to their ISPs, hopefully convincing them to take the necessary steps to eliminate spam from their networks. While a noble goal, I believe the means of achieving it do more harm than good.
The blacklists are invariably maintained by tech-heads that see their work as a righteous, hard-line approach to combating spam. The sites I've seen inform visitors that the lists are maintained for the administrator's personal use in blocking unwanted mail from their networks. That's fine. They know what they're doing and understand the ramifications. The problem is, their lists are being used by software targeted towards less savvy users who may not be fully aware of what's happening.
The blacklisters wash their hands of responsiblity for the use of their lists by maintaining a position of passive involvement. They're not the ones blocking email, they just provide a list. What other people do with that list is not their business. I also get the distinct impression of disregard for the effects their lists have on ordinary users. They seem to feel that the internet exists for their use and that "newbies" that don't understand concepts like subnets and mail servers have no business there in the first place.
Well, if you've indulged my rant to this point... I'd like to hear some other views on the subject.
When the managers of the lists think they've detected spam activity on a particular server or network, they add the network's entire range of addresses to their blacklists. The result is that, by the time a legitimate message has traversed the internet, its odds of avoiding all blacklisted networks have become slim to none. One of the blacklists I checked listed UUNET!
Even though our organization hasn't sent a single piece of marketing email, spam or otherwise, we're receiving an increasing number of bounces due to these blacklists. I can only guess that our customers assume we're ignoring their emails.
Clearly, the blacklisters goal is not so much to block spam as it is to pressure network administrators to be more active in the fight against it. They're counting on both recipients and senders of legitimate mail to complain to their ISPs, hopefully convincing them to take the necessary steps to eliminate spam from their networks. While a noble goal, I believe the means of achieving it do more harm than good.
The blacklists are invariably maintained by tech-heads that see their work as a righteous, hard-line approach to combating spam. The sites I've seen inform visitors that the lists are maintained for the administrator's personal use in blocking unwanted mail from their networks. That's fine. They know what they're doing and understand the ramifications. The problem is, their lists are being used by software targeted towards less savvy users who may not be fully aware of what's happening.
The blacklisters wash their hands of responsiblity for the use of their lists by maintaining a position of passive involvement. They're not the ones blocking email, they just provide a list. What other people do with that list is not their business. I also get the distinct impression of disregard for the effects their lists have on ordinary users. They seem to feel that the internet exists for their use and that "newbies" that don't understand concepts like subnets and mail servers have no business there in the first place.
Well, if you've indulged my rant to this point... I'd like to hear some other views on the subject.