----- Original Message -----
From: "Bart Schaefer" <schaefer(_at_)brasslantern(_dot_)com>
To: "ASRG" <asrg(_at_)ietf(_dot_)org>
Sent: Monday, December 01, 2003 12:01 AM
Subject: Re: [Asrg] 0. General - anti-harvesting (was Inquiry about CallerID
Verification)
} I read this to mean that the Return-Path must, if present, be a
} valid mailbox for a responsible person (note the MUST).
I read this to mean that the server is reqired to insert the return-path
field, regardless of its knowledge of the validity of the mailbox.
hmmm?? It is expected to be VALID! Whether thats true or not, is a
different story which is 100% expected as a possibility and handled
accordingly depending on server implemention. In our case, it is
blacklisted after 72 tries (default). That gives you 3 days to fix your
server can get back up. If you can't get your server up, then you have no
business being a mail server. On a new attempt, our software will try once
more. If successful, it is removed from the blacklist. Otherwise, it is an
immediate failure.
Suppose I send a message to you. For whatever reason, it's queued at
my company SMTP server rather than delivered immediately to your MX.
While the message is in the queue, I have an argument with my CEO over
the interpretation of RFC2821, and he fires me. The sysadmin immediately
disables my email account.
You're saying that its now an _SMTP protocol_ violation for the company
server to complete the process of delivering that queued message to you?
Thats not a SMTP problem. These are ethical and legal issues.
First, if you write/store mail using company resource, they own your email.
They can do whatever they want. This is legally enforced.
Second, as far as SMTP, it is doing what it was technical designed done to
do - queue for delivery. If the ADMIN wants to delete or kill the queue,
thats up to him. That is not an SMTP decision.
Now, on the other hand, if your system is acting as a passthru system, then
it has TECHNCIAL responsible to move the mail - UNALTERED. If the ADMIN
kills passthru mail, he is putting his operations (and business) at risk.
I can't remember but I believe this is legalled enforced as well. If your
software can not correctly handle the passthru operation of mail, you have
no being in the mail transport business.
Now, what is consided passthru mail?
Basically routed mail, but there are two types of routed mail.
If mail from another server is routed thru your system, you can not delete
it or alter it. This is considered true passthu mail.
If the mail came from a USER to its HOST (your system) to be routed to
another site (not local), then this may be considered NON-PASSTHRU,
depending on the type of user:
Employee - company owns your email stored on the system.
Commercial - user using an ISP. This is questionable. In my opinion, in
this case, this is passthru and the ISP has no business in the
killing/altering of a commercial user. However, the ISP has to right to
have a disclaimer for user mail (i.e., no porn) passing thru his system as
the original source. This (disclaimer) is legally enforced.
However, again, if the mail is true passthru, your server has the ultimate
responsibility to move it. It can't just let it die.
---
Hector Santos, CTO
WINSERVER "Wildcat! Interactive Net Server"
support: http://www.winserver.com
sales: http://www.santronics.com
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