On Mon, 19 Sep 2005, Seth Goodman wrote:
Yeah, I knew that. I was asking about the *converse*. Is it true that:
When the MAIL FROM identity is composed of the localpart "postmaster"
and the HELO identity, then the reverse-path is null.
I don't think so. MAIL FROM:<> is a DSN, while MAIL
FROM:<postmaster(_at_)example(_dot_)com> is _supposed_ to be a message from a
role
account. It may be report of network abuse, a problem they have connecting
to your network or an offer to sell you enlargement pills, but it shouldn't
be a DSN (even though it sometimes is). I see no harm in using "postmaster"
as local-part for null-sender messages in either a SPF check or other local
heuristics. However, you have to retain the real null-sender return-path
for either delivery or when you ultimately can't complete delivery later and
better not send a bounce.
That's what I thought. The problem is that *every* *single* message
I've ever received from 'postmaster' on any of the 40 machines I administer
without exception was *supposed* to be a DSN, but sender was clueless/rude.
Someone suggested complaining about abuse to the upstream ISP. The problem is
that it is hard to convince them that running a commercial "Spam Filter"
and MTA constitutes "abuse" - regardless of how braindead the behaviour.
So my work around is accept mail from postmaster only if it is addressed
to a signed return-path.
I personally never use postmaster for outgoing mail. I accept mail
to postmaster, then answer it as myself.
--
Stuart D. Gathman <stuart(_at_)bmsi(_dot_)com>
Business Management Systems Inc. Phone: 703 591-0911 Fax: 703 591-6154
"Confutatis maledictis, flamis acribus addictis" - background song for
a Microsoft sponsored "Where do you want to go from here?" commercial.
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