From: owner-nanog@merit.edu [mailto:owner-nanog@merit.edu] On

We've noticed a surge in 421 e-mail errors from AOL.

Message soft bounced for '###@aol.com', '4.3.2 - Not accepting messages at this time ('421', [': (DYN:T1) http://postmaster.info.aol.com/errors/421dynt1.html', 'SERVICE NOT AVAILABLE']) []'

It seems as though they've tightened down their policies. We're pretty good at preventing spam with our IronPort anti-spam gateways and internal policies.

We've also subscribed to their FBL notification service. I'm surprised at the types of messages AOL customers consider as spam. Anything and everything: university admission acceptance notices; instructor class assignments; photos from friends; etc.

AOL users report receipts for things they have bought or letters from their kids as spam, or just use the spam button instead of delete. We have a feedback loop with them on a netblock we moved off of about 24 months ago; I've emailed their postmaster at least 12 times with no response and no change. I've called and they refuse to talk and say I must email or use the form on the postmaster site to be removed; no effect. David