ietf-asrg
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: [Asrg] Legal Suggestions ....

2003-04-14 21:26:37
On 04/14/2003 at 23:04 it appears waltdnes(_at_)waltdnes(_dot_)org wrote:

This is a very good point to consider. At the very least, any blocking
systems in place must have a means available for individual users to
review what is being blocked and what affect this has on traffic into
their email account(s). Without this provision, the variability of
the definition of spam will continue to remain a contentious issue
with no resolution.
...
 Many people on this list run their own personal SMTPservers.  I don't
quite feel up to that level.  But I do have an account at an ISP with a
modified Qmail system that allows end-users to set up filter-config
files that are parsed and excuted during the SMTP transaction.  This
allows me to almost totally eradicate inbound spam.

 Consider Joe Sixpack.  Is he going to be able to log in to a shell,
fire up vim, and edit the filter file ?  This requires knowing about
DNSbls, rDNS, CIDRs, how to parse headers on received spam, how to use
whois to find the entire address space of a spamming outfit, etc, etc.
...

Agreed. We all know that the average user in the world would probably have to 
stretch to be up to qualifying for the same skills displayed by "grandma" in 
our "grandma tests" (you know, "if grandma can figure out how to use my 
software then I did a pretty good job in the UI to simplify this complex issue 
for my users").

What I would propose instead that the filter systems, and hence the management 
and reviewing systems, by made simple enough that even the "neo-beginner" user 
can get thru it and understand to a large extent how things work and how to set 
it up for their own needs, situations, and preferences.

This I believe would be a much more worthwhile project for us to work towards. 
It provides a much more user friendly system to handle a somewhat complex task.

With the very nature of transactions on the internet, I verily doubt that there 
will be a new implementation of SMTP that can address the resources used, and 
hence abused, by spammers. Without a technical solution to the very nature of 
internet allowing remote systems to utilize the resources of local networks and 
systems, we are stuck with providing a solution instead that satisfies the 
needs of the users as reasonably and simply as possible while still providing 
us, the technical people, with the information needed to identify, and pursue 
by whatever means available, the stopping of resource utilization and abuse by 
the spammers.

Bottom line, spammers have no incentive to stop their operations as the nature 
of the internet makes it simple for them to continue in their work. And, the 
cost structure to execute their abuse of many other online resources makes it 
financially attractive for them to continue indefinitely into the future.

Changng these basic tenants is no small task. So, we must work towards the best 
solution possible for the resources available, the tasks that must be done to 
manage (and take action on) the resources, and provide for the needs of our 
users.

================================================================
Steven G. Willis     sgwillis(_at_)deepskytech(_dot_)com       772.794.9494
Deep Sky Technologies, Inc.          http://www.deepskytech.com/
http://www.badchickens.com/         http://www.store-secure.com/
================================================================
_______________________________________________
Asrg mailing list
Asrg(_at_)ietf(_dot_)org
https://www1.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/asrg



<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>