RE: [cobalt-users] Spam blocking

["E.B. Dreger" <eddy+public+spam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

TC> Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2004 12:30:43 +1000
TC> From: Tom Cameron


TC> I agree with this too. My practice is to not block the spam but to deliver
TC> it with an adjusted subject line so that the client can filter out the spam
TC> at their end. This does not reduce my server load but it does help the
TC> client. I'm using SpamAssassin for this.
TC>
TC> The main reason I do this is for legal reasons. As a hosting company I have
TC> a duty to my customers to deliver their mail. While I don't make any silly
TC> 100% guarantees, I do consider this a duty I must aim to fulfil. If I were
TC> to decide what mail a client gets or does not get then I could be breaching
TC> my responsibilities and potentially subject to litigation. It would be like
TC> US Post opening up all your mail and deciding which ones you want to get -
TC> naturally you would be pretty pissed if that happened.

The USPO doesn't blindly deliver all mail.  If a package is
suspicious, it probably won't get through.  Mail with
insufficient postage isn't delivered.  Mail fraud and certain
abuses are illegal.

ISPs invest in equipment and bandwidth.  IANAL, but what I've
seen seems to indicate that the courts have understood ISPs' need
to protect their investment.

That said, I agree that attempts to autosort (BMF, BogoFilter,
SA) provide much better results.  However, some customers want
blacklists... if a customers wants to use them, and understands
the issues, one should be fine.  But, again, IANAL.


Eddy
--
Brotsman & Dreger, Inc. - EverQuick Internet Division
Bandwidth, consulting, e-commerce, hosting, and network building
Phone: +1 785 865 5885 Lawrence and [inter]national
Phone: +1 316 794 8922 Wichita
_________________________________________________________________
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Sending mail to spambait addresses is a great way to get blocked.