[OT] HELP!!! mail attack

[John Summerfield]

Alan Cox wrote:
>> It's clear that you're one of those admins who doesn't see a problem
>> with throwing out the real mail, so long as you get rid of all the spam
>> at the same time.  I wouldn't hire anyone with that attitude, it's
>> wilful sabotage.
> 
> It's solving the problem. Guess how internet routers solve packet
> overload - they throw random packets away.

TCP is defined to allow that conduct and recover, UDP is defined as 
unreliable. Email is neither.

> 
>> I run a business, I can't afford to lose a client, even a potential one,
>> because the mail got rejected, or the phone wasn't answered, etc.  I
>> know some of them won't retry, I know regular clients who won't retry, I
>> usually don't retry...
> 
> There is a difference between throwing email away without the
> consent/permission of its owner and throwing it away with the consent.

Who is the owner? At what time does it become not the sender's but the 
recipient's? In snail mail, the postal service owns it between times and 
ownership changes when the mail changes hands. Someone sending mail 
might feel peeved at someone on the recipient's side "binning my email 
because some stupid twit couldn't see its value."

Oh, alright. People in .uk are used do some stupid twit "binning my email."




> The people to whom I provide email are more than happy to lose the odd
> real email so they don't have to read through all the spam and are far
> more productive as a result.
> 
> Also your client case is a bit spurious, most people whitelist clients.

It's very hard to whitelist a client you haven't met yet, and if my 
email asking you for a quote bounces[1], figure on not doing business 
with me. It's happened, and businesses that get most of my discretionary 
spend are those whom I think do their jobs well.

[1] Similarly if your website's down, but that's a discussion for 
another time.


-- 

Cheers
John

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