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RE: [spf-discuss] Nice but...

2006-06-07 09:19:38
Hi Koen,

Point taken. Part of my point was that domain owners often are not in
control of the servers where their domain resides. Unless I have totally
missed the point (and because I'm still getting up to speed on SPF, maybe I
have), that leaves the domain owner at the mercy of the host. I know the
practical advice is to move my domains to a host that will support SPF and
be responsive to domain owners, and in time I will, but the fact remains
that I cannot force compliance. So while separating the protocol from the
application of that protocol is fair, it doesn't change the real-world
effect. 

I don't think this is at all unique to SPF. As a web developer I deal every
day with standards that, if embraced universally, would make things better.
I've been a cross-browser / cross-platform expert since browser 2.x versions
for that reason. Few of us favor regulatory agencies in regards to the
internet, myself included, but that means, as I said in my earlier post,
that good intentions sometimes have undesirable consequences. If there was a
SPF registry where I could prove my identity and create my own SPF, putting
me, the domain owner, in full control, I would have no gripes.

I appreciate the informed and helpful responses I got from you and several
people here. 


Junior Lee Klegseth
Web Developer
-----Original Message-----
From: Koen Martens [mailto:spf(_at_)metro(_dot_)cx] 
Sent: Tuesday, June 06, 2006 11:38 PM
To: spf-discuss(_at_)v2(_dot_)listbox(_dot_)com
Cc: spf-council(_at_)v2(_dot_)listbox(_dot_)com; blues(_at_)bluesong(_dot_)com
Subject: Re: [spf-discuss] Nice but...

Hello,

Junior wrote:
Topic: Other
Name: Junior
Organization: 

I applaud your efforts and while I do not fully grasp the scope of your
project, the effects of it on me, due to no action of my own, are negative.
This is the problem with universal restrictions. Although I own several
domains and each offers a smtp server for my outgoing mail, my provider,
Charter.com, will not allow me to use my domain smtp because their
restrictions fear that could be spamming. So I am forced to used a Charter
smtp. But SPF refuses that for obvious reasons. So increasingly I am having
problems getting email to people. This brings up another considerable
drawback to your program: you put the impetus on the everyday person who a)
has no access to the servers to place a SPF record on, b) has no power to
force their hosts to do such and c) has little time or knowledge on how to
create one anyway. Like you, I loathe spam. As a web developer with around
fifteen email accounts I get literally hundreds of spams, phishes, etc. a
day. Insane. But I shouldn't be t
he
 one punished. Thank you.


You make in important mistake here: you blame the protocol for what
the users of the protocol have done. SPF is nothing more than that:
a protocol. SPF will happily allow you to use whatever SMTP server
you like, it will even allow you to state that any server in the
entire internet can be used for your domain ('v=spf1 +all').

However, if a domain owner decides to restrict the usage of their
domain (by publishing an SPF record), then the users of that domain
will have to abide by the policy set by the owner of the domain. It
is as simple as that. The owner of the domain has the right to limit
how their domain is used, it is _their_ domain afterall.

Of course, it might be that you are the domain owner but lack the
technical knowledge to manage it yourself. If you have someone else
manage it for you, and they decide to put an SPF record on your
domain without giving you notice or the possibility to influence the
content of that SPF record, it is time to look for someone else to
manage your domains. Seriously.

Best,

Koen Martens

-- 
K.F.J. Martens, Sonologic, http://www.sonologic.nl/
Networking, hosting, embedded systems, unix, artificial intelligence.
Public PGP key: http://www.metro.cx/pubkey-gmc.asc
Wondering about the funny attachment your mail program
can't read? Visit http://www.openpgp.org/

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