Re: [cobalt-users] Fw: Why (anti-spam) SPF rocks

[Jeff Lasman <blists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Tuesday 02 March 2004 12:38 pm, Franklin S Werren wrote:

> This SPF is being harpped real LOUD at
> news://news.grc.com   in there grc.spam
> As you know Steve Gibson of www.grc.com is a real vocal
> about different ideas... and usually he is right...

No, Steve's not usually right.  I wouldn't even say "often he's right", 
but rather he's opinionated and sometimes his ideas are quite good, 
though almost always they're quite controversial.

> No one said much except they do not think it will fly
> and it was not a good idea....

What steve hasn't done, and evidently you haven't been able to find 
elsewhere, is _why_ it's a bad idea.

Here are two good reasons:

a) it breaks all forwarding
b) it breaks email lists

I'll leave it up to you to find more.

> But with spam growing out of control
> I have to look at all possibilities....

It won't stop spam or spammers; spammers can register their domains the 
same way you and I can.  True, you can block spammers, using the same 
methods you do now.  The only advantage is that spammers won't be able 
to pretend they're you, or hotmail, or yahoo, etc., usw, ad-nauseum.

But it won't actually stop any spam at all; As the big ISPs start using 
SPF, spammers will just start registering the domains they use to send 
spam from.  That'll cost them an extra $10 per spam run.  Big deal.

> Even Microsoft (No Flames) is getting in on the act

As well they should.  As you should.  As I should.

As for me?  I haven't announced it yet, because it's not ready yet, but 
the slogan for my anti-spam solution is:

Spam is no longer a problem.

Really.

It's based on open-source solutions and will be available in source-code 
form at no charge, but unfortunately won't run on RaQs <frown>.

Jeff
-- 
Jeff Lasman, nobaloney.net, P. O. Box 52672, Riverside, CA  92517 US
Professional Internet Services & Support / Consulting / Colocation
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