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[OM] [OT] Spam software

Subject: [OM] [OT] Spam software
From: Steve Goss <stevegoss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 08 May 2003 21:48:04 -0500
In the recent thread about spam software, someone (it looks like "BA" but I'm not sure) said that some ISP's might get upset with users of MailWasher Pro because it forges email headers when bouncing them back to the source.

So, I asked my ISP, and this is their response (I don't claim to fully understand it):

The act of setting up a system that shows that a user does not exist due to filtering what has been determined as spam to make it appear that email address does not exist is actually quite common and one of the tools that can help thwart spammers. If a sender gets a bounce message back as being marked as spam, they are only going to try a different way to get their unsolicited mail through. If you believe that a specific party is violated our abuse policy, you can forward information to abuse@xxxxxxxxxxxxx (however, since correspondence is initiated by the sender and what you are recieving is a reply, it is not unsolicited). As far as a policy regarding a specific program such as mail washer, we do not have one, as our policy orginate from 'actions' (such as sending spam) not the use of specific application. I hope this answers your questions.

Best Regards,

Grant H.
Speakeasy Support
206.728.9770
800.556.5829
www.speakeasy.net/myspeak

Question
---------------------------------------------------------------
---- 05/07/2003 07:05 PM ---------------------------------------------
The Firetrust company has a product called Mailwasher which checks mail on the server before it is downloaded to the PC. It has the ability to bounce unwanted mail back to the originator, making it appear that the user's account does not exist.

Their web site is: <http://www.firetrust.com/products/mailwasherpro/>

I have heard that Mailwasher bounces mail back to the sender by forging the headers to mimic a hard bounce. Evidently some ISP's frown on forged headers (after all, that's what the spammers are doing) and will shut down an account that forges headers.

So, my question is- What is Speakeasy's position on customers using Mailwasher?

Thanks, Steve Goss

Question Reference #030507-000355



------------------------- Original message thread ----------------------
From: "BA" <ande@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2003 1:37 AM
Subject: Re: [OM] [OT] Good software for List members

On Mon, 28 Apr 2003 22:26:02 -0600, you wrote:
> ... Then I stumbled upon this one:
> http://www.firetrust.com/products/mailwasherpro/
>
>It's called "MailWasher Pro 3.0," it's made by a New Zealand company

...

> and as an added bonus, sends a "bounce" message back to the
> origin which looks exactly like the standard "This recipient does
> not exist" message from your ISP's SMTP mailserver. ...

Problem is, it does this by forging email headers.  To which some ISPs
take serious offense ... as in, they'll yank your account if they
catch you at it.

I like the idea myself, and I wish ISPs (specifically, mine!) would
offer it as a service, if they're gonna' object to your doing it
yourself!

B



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