EMBARRASSING TO THE LIST: Re: *WARNING* Your EmailAccount Will Be Closed

[Etienne Goyer]

Marco Colombo wrote:
> On Tue, 2005-05-31 at 11:46 -0700, Jules Agee wrote:
>>Seconded.
>>info-cyrus is the only list I'm subscribed to that allows posting by
>>non-subscribers. Maybe it's not a coincidence that it's also the only
>>list that I get spam & viruses from on a regular basis.
> 
> This makes no sense. As I said before, it takes a close-to-zero effort
> to forge headers. Subscribers-only or open, it's a matter of list
> _policy_. It may have a minimal effect of reducing spam, but that's not
> the point. If you want to stop spam, use a specific filter. Bypassing
> the subscribers-only check is trivial.

What you are saying is technically correct.  But there is a caveat.  I 
am subscribed to about two dozens list (more ? I lost count), and the 
only one I am getting spam from is info-cyrus.  It's also the only one 
that I aware permit posting by non-subscriber.  So there is a 
correllation, but are there a causation ?  I do not know, it might be a 
coincidence.  But it's one heck of a coincidence.

Also, I do believe that list administrator have a responsability to take 
measure against abuse of their list.  Acting as amplificator for spammer 
certainly constitute an abuse.  I admin a few low-volume myself, and I 
take spam very seriously.  The only list where I permit posting by 
non-subscribers is moderated.  While my list do not have the volume or 
notoriety of info-cyrus, I can't remember the last time a spam got 
through one my list.

If forged sender address ever become a problem, I will run my lists 
through SpamAssassin and moderate high-scoring mail by hand.  Simple 
matter of responsability to my users.
---
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