Re: And so it begins...

["Steve Landess" <sjl_abc@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Joe Pluta wrote:
> Okay, here's a new twist on the blacklist/whitelist concept.
>
> I just sent an email to someone.  It didn't get through because the
> recipient's ISP blocked it.  Why?  Because it didn't recognize me as an
> ISP.  That is, this service no longer accepts mail from "end user"
> accounts, which pretty much includes anybody running their own SMTP
> server over a DSL line.  They give you a number of options, including
> rerouting your mail through your ISP, or getting your ISP to change the
> PTR record for your DSL address.  Otherwise, the user has to turn off
> spam filtering.  As far as I can tell, this is purely a blacklist
> approach, with no ability to whitelist a domain.  So any small business
> running their own SMTP server over a DSL line is subject to this kind of
> blacklisting.
>
> Is this a sign of things to come?

Joe -

What a timely question.  I just saw this eWeek opinion article yesterday:

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1784276,00.asp?kc=ewnws041105dtx1k0000599

<Excerpt>

Opinion: The time has not only come for ISPs to block port 25 for consumer 
accounts, it has long since passed. The rewards for this and other ISP 
management techniques could be large, but ISPs need to be careful about how 
they do it and tell users why.

Do you run a mail server on your home Internet account? If you do, it's 
probably without your knowledge, such as in a mail worm or a zombie spambot. 
Few if any people running these programs intend to do so, and it's time for 
ISPs to close the door through which they operate.

I think there's a consensus developing among anti-spam researchers, many of 
them responsible for fighting spam on ISP networks, that unrestricted use of 
TCP port 25 must be shut down to the average Internet consumer. There are 
those who disagree, but their arguments sound obtuse and defeatist rather 
than actual justifications to not block port 25.

</Excerpt>