[NTLUG:Discuss] [Fwd: Returned mail: Service unavailable]

[Stephen Denny]

For those of you interested, iname.net aka mail.com (see header below)
has serious spamming problems.  Because they either do not or can not
fix them, they have been added to the Realtime Black List (RBL).  It
is trivially easy to get off the RBL list.  One must simply fix the
problem (often an open third-party relay) and request to be removed.
Removal will happen typically the same day.

Sendmail has an option to check the RBL list before receiving mail.
ntlug.org like a large number of organizations is configured to use
the RBL and politely decline to accept mail from spam houses.  Think
of it as a defense against this list getting spammed from machines
that have been "caught" spamming before and decline to stop.

You may recall the old ntlug.org box itself was on the RBL list very
briefly when its very old sendmail config allowed relays.  Kendall
promptly fixed the problem and everyone was happy once again.

I recommend the RBL option to any ntluggers using sendmail for
incoming mail.  Save yourself some spam headaches.

Regards,
Stephen


>From MAILER-DAEMON at pop05.iname.net Thu Apr 20 18:45:03 2000
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 19:05:40 -0400 (EDT)
From: Mail Delivery Subsystem <MAILER-DAEMON at pop05.iname.net>
To: al_h at technologist.com
Subject: Returned mail: Service unavailable

The original message was received at Thu, 20 Apr 2000 19:05:38 -0400 (EDT)
from crtntx1-ar3-098-136.dsl.gtei.net [4.33.98.136]

   ----- The following addresses had permanent fatal errors -----
<discuss at ntlug.org>

   ----- Transcript of session follows -----
... while talking to dora.ntlug.org.:
>>> MAIL From:<al_h at technologist.com>
<<< 550 Mail from 165.251.8.70 refused; see http://maps.vix.com/rbl/
554 <discuss at ntlug.org>... Service unavailable



Stephen Denny                                 mailto:sdenny at hex.net
Hex.Net Superhighway                             http://www.hex.net