Verizon is easily fooled by spamming zombies

Wed Jun 1 17:22:16 UTC 2005

On Jun 1, 2005, at 12:17 PM, Gadi Evron wrote:

>> Zombies do both, but my comment wasn't about zombies, it was about
>> users.  If you are a user with a vanity domain trying to send e-mail
>> "From: user at vanity.domain", you cannot through VZ's system.  Despite
>> the fact we have spent years telling people they have to use their
>> local ISP's mail server to send mail out.
>>
>> Does VZ support SMTP AUTH these days?  (My info is over a year old.)
>
> Verizon has many odd choices in their history, indeed. Still, how many
> DSL users actually *need* to use an account other than that given to
> them by their ISP?

Many thousands, perhaps 100s of thousands.

> I find this extreme measure quite a good step, and in the right  
> direction.

I do not.

> There is no real reason why you should be able to email out with
> bush at whitehouse.gov using Verizon's own servers.

Of course not.  But "me at mydomain.com" is perfectly reasonable.

> If you are an advanced enough user to have your own vanity domain then
> you are advanced enough to have your own SMTP server. If port 25 is
> blocked, you can probably sort this out with your ISP (if said ISP is
> responsive to your needs) and/or move an ISP.

The example given in this thread proves you wrong.  My friend had a  
vanity domain, did not have her own mail server.

But that's OK, we should tell people one thing (use your ISP's server  
to send mail) and do another (block them from sending mail through  
their ISP's server).

Makes the "clueless majority" much happier when even the "techies"  
can't figure out WTF they are supposed to do.

-- 
TTFN,
patrick