[thelist] Protecting sender's email addy

[deke]

On 14 Mar 2001, at 1:34, Matt Patterson wrote:

> > Some ISPs will not allow you to use any email address but your own;
> > their SMTP blocks it. Seems to me that I tried out a 30 days free deal
> > with GTE a year or two ago, and decided after three days that they were
> > unusable.
 
> Do you mean that you can't use a different address, or that you can't use a
> different SMTP server than theirs. You shouldn't be able to use a different SMTP
> server: open relays are easy targets for abuse and spam-mongering. Actually, the
> SMTP server you use has no relation to your email address AT ALL. 

It shouldn't have any relation, but it does. When I tried to send mail 
out using From: and Reply-to: headers that use the domains of my 
websites, the mail simply went into the bit bucket, with no indication
to me that my mail was being refused.

An SMTP server shouldn't accept mail from strangers, but there is
no reason why an AOL user shouldn't be able to buy SMTP services
from their webhosting company; after all, AOL doesn't provide an 
SMTP server.  Typically, the hosts are set up so that you have to
check your POP3 box with a valid username and password immediately
before you send mail.

And open relays are no more of a problem than web hosting companies.
Sign up for an account that includes sendmail, and you can spam an
awful lot before you get caught.  

deke







--------
I got this powdered water. 
Now I don't know what to add. 
            -- Steven Wright