On Mon, Mar 24, 2003 at 12:10:35PM -0600,
meor(_at_)mail(_dot_)SoftHome(_dot_)net wrote:
DRAWBACKS OF THIS METHOD
1. Requires a new client, server, and protocol in order to be implemented.
Is that all? :-)
I see what you're getting at. Unfortunately as far as I know there hasn't
been a good solution presented that doesn't either break SMTP or require a
consensus among all clients and servers; which in effect is a new protocol.
Do you mean a good solution involving e-stamps, or in general? e-stamp
solutions are normally predicated on having new software at both ends,
which is a nearly insumrmountable problem. It would take a very compelling
case and design to want to do this, and the switch would need to be gradual.
However, there are non-stamp solutions, or solutions which incorporate stamps
as simply one possible way to verify accountability for abuse in an E-mail
which can make use of them.
You need to minimize the number of parties who have to change software.
Recipients of mail are, however, highly motivated to install software to
rid themselves of spam, and sysadmins of MTAs that receive mail are similarly
motivated.
However, anything that requires new software for ordinary senders of mail
seems a non-starter.
Something that requires new software for senders of bulk mail is within the
realm of workability, and since bulk mail is where all the issues like, this
makes sense as the place of minimum damage. Depending on what volume levels
you define as bulk, the number of people hosting large mailing lists is
manageable, and they as well are incented to get new software it it is
necessary to get their list through.
However, even so, we must consider there are very large numbers of small time
senders of small bulk mail, namely ordinary individuals who send out things
like party invitations, birth announcements and the like to all of their
friends and associates. They should not be required to get new software.
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