Spam filtering bcps [was Re: Open Letter to D-Link about their NTP vandalism]

Thu Apr 13 01:27:56 UTC 2006

ST> Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2006 10:16:53 -0700 (PDT)
ST> From: Steve Thomas

ST> RFC 2821?
ST> 
ST>   ...the protocol requires that a server accept responsibility
ST>   for either delivering a message or properly reporting the
ST>   failure to do so.

How does one properly report delivery failure to a guerrilla spammer?

ST> Unless you're the final recipient of the message, you have no business
ST> deleting it. If you've accept a message, you should either deliver or
ST> bounce it, per RFC requirements.

"Please automatically delete anything that might be spam.  They'll call
me if it's important.  I know I'll lose some mail, but that's okay."

Throwing RFC 2821 at that user probably would not have made them happy.

As for MUST bounce using return-path... perhaps you've never experienced
blowback from a joe job.  It can be unpleasant.

RFCs are for maintaining interoperability.  They are not infallible.
When a system is clearly broken, it's time to examine alternatives --
not to say that the RFC was handed down from on high.

Proposal:

MXes can say "2xx message queued with ID blahblahblah".  They also can
return 4xx "try back later codes".  Yes?

How about some return code that says "poll by $deadline if you want to
know whether message ID blahblahblah was accepted or rejected"?  No need
to retransmit the entire message, and the sender can learn whether the
message was actually accepted.

Eddy
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