SRS is not a requirement. Solving the forwarding problem is. There are
better ways to do this than SRS that require nothing to change at
forwarders.
Well if there is a better way than SRS or PRA which does NOT require
forwarders to change, then we should be looking at it really hard and really
quickly.
I doubt forwarders are going to change for any sender identification scheme
because:
1) Web hosting companies are reluctant to do anything as most are very small
shops with very limits IT staffs or are totally dependent on third parties
to change their "panel" software. My experience with several hosters is that
even getting them to listen for SMTP connections on port587 is impossible
and this is easy compared to SRS and PRA.
2) Why would a free forwarding service like you get from your college alumni
email address bother with any additional service/effort? Most systems that
do forwarding just offer it for free because their customers expect it.
Since it brings in zero revenue for most, it will be the last thing people
spend resources on to change. More likely, they will just stop forwarding
all together if they have to change.
The above is why DomainKeys and similar are better...forwarders don't need
to change anything.
So how can SPF/SenderID fix the forwarding issues without forwarders needing
to change?
-Carl
--
Carl Hutzler
Director, AntiSpam Operations
America Online Mail Operations
cdhutzler(_at_)aol(_dot_)com
703.265.5521 work
703.915.6862 cell