Company S(pam) has a web site, hosted on the servers of web-presence-provider Company P(rovider). Company S uses the services of Company X to send out massive loads of SPAM, with referencing the web site and even e-mail addresses hosted by Company H. Now, if I'm hearing what's being said on this list correctly, Company H is being expected to pull the website they host for Company S (or else be blackholed), _even though no illegal or spam-generating activity is being generated on their network_. Am I understanding this correctly?!?

I have never seen the RBL work this way. Don't you mean Company P is expected to pull the website, since they host the website, not H?

By this philosophy, it would seem that if I were to host the web pages of a company which engaged in unwelcome telemarketing (which I personally find much more offensive than SPAM, and which is no more or less illegal in most states), I would be under an obligation to cease providing service to that company!

You can do whatever you want with your network. As can other networks. No obligation, really. However, you can't always control the results.

So, given the earlier threads about annoying UUNET marketing folks, let's blackhole all mail that comes from UUNET. Oh, and also mail that comes from anyone who peers with them. And of course any mail that has to be transported over those evil people's networks.....wait a sec, why's my inbox suddenly empty, where'd the internet go???

Recalling an American hamburger commercial some time back, "Where's the spam?" ;-) Did you read the thread about the NSI spam? Do you know how effective the RBL was against the mighty microsoft (tm)?

Maybe I'm misinterpeting the policies here, but I didn't hear anyone disputing the actual complaints of this guy, which can only lead me to believe that either A) This guy was actually treated unfairly, and has a valid complaint, or B) Nobody cares enough to say "hey, wait a minute, there's been a failure in communication, let's see if we can work this out."

Talk to the volunteers at the RBL, and read the web site regarding those questions. I'm confident that you will see both A and B will be answered to your satisfaction. It's actually quite difficult to get into the rbl, and quite easy to get out of.