On October 15, 2013 at 13:55 cma@cmadams.net (Chris Adams) wrote:
Random end users shouldn't be talking to MTAs. They should be using MSAs instead.
That's a policy decision, some allow this, some resist it. It's too bad that we've created this exclusive club of the anointed who may speak to MTAs just because of some bad actors. It's not like the basic idea is particularly a bad one. An ideal I'd prefer is get rid of the botnets and similar through other means, improving client technology and increasing the likelihood of arrest of those who exploit them for example. What's occurring is that the same factors which led to the mass spammers is now, more and more, drawing in what might be termed "legitimate" businesses. And we're tending to use our sense of social class to distinguish which is which, not (IMHO) a good trend. But what business can resist the siren call of postage-free (i.e., nearly free) marcom with their customers? Particularly where there are millions of customers. Talk to them every day, twice a day, ten times a day! Whatever it takes, apply for this credit card, donate to this worthy cause, lowest prices on vacations in Maui, new book available... The result? I think people just ignore most email and tend towards very exclusive whitelisting one way or another (human or scripted.) But what the heck, it's free! Keep that bilge pump running. MarCom too cheap to meter! Now there's a policy issue. It's gotten so you can barely hear the spam over the roar of the ("legitimate") marcom. -- -Barry Shein The World | bzs@TheWorld.com | http://www.TheWorld.com Purveyors to the Trade | Voice: 800-THE-WRLD | Dial-Up: US, PR, Canada Software Tool & Die | Public Access Internet | SINCE 1989 *oo*