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Re: 6. Solutions - Longterm - Replacing SMTP (Re: [Asrg] Bogus reasoning)

2003-07-02 09:32:39
That is exactly what I have been saying, on and off, for the past month or so (when I thought it was wise to stop lurking). The only really solution to the problem is a receiver side solution, whether it happens at the client or the MTA for the user.

Chuck Wegrzyn


gep2(_at_)terabites(_dot_)com wrote:

Personally, I don't think that *any* solution that to be effective requires
re-engineering the entire world's E-mail infrastructure is a practical solution
today.  There's just too much of it, in too many places, and with too little
onsite technical expertise in many of those places.

However, should we be considering a solution that replaces the email infrastructure as a long term answer to spam?

While it might be interesting to blue-sky that, I don't think that discussing it as a serious solution to the spam problem is very sensible. We need something MUCH sooner than that, and I think the only practical way to achieve that is to build it on top of the system we have today. And THAT means it must be incrementally deployable. Stuff that stops senders is nice, but obviously must be deployed universally in order to achieve the goal. Otherwise we'll have a few responsible ISPs whose users (like everyone else) still get slammed with spam, and spam-friendly ISPs who can't be bothered to put the protections in place. It only takes ONE spam-friendly ISP (and they could be ANYWHERE, including some lawless third-world country) as a "safe haven" for the entire world to still get spammed.

I personally think that it makes sense to have a recipient-end system (client site, or their ISP) where the effort can be made by those receiving the most direct benefit from the effort, and where they can proceed without having to convince anyone else about their methods.

I don't think that there is a single "silver bullet" (wooden stake?) that will instantly stop spam. What's more likely is that we eventually and progressively just put enough sand in their gears that the great majority of them simply give up and decide to take up another career.

Gordon Peterson                  http://personal.terabites.com/
1977-2002  Twenty-fifth anniversary year of Local Area Networking!
Support the Anti-SPAM Amendment!  Join at http://www.cauce.org/
12/19/98: Partisan Republicans scornfully ignore the voters they "represent".
12/09/00: the date the Republican Party took down democracy in America.



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