[plug] iinet and spam

[Anthony J. Breeds-Taurima]

On Fri, 16 Nov 2001, Daniel wrote:

> Hi Plug, I wrote just now about Tagged Message Delivery Agent as a possible 
> solution to spam. (http://software.libertine.org/tmda/ )
> I forgot to mention that I asked support at iinet if they would help - this 
> is their reply:
> 
> "If you wish to install TMDA on your machine and use it as a mail server iiNet
> has no problems with this.  However we do not have it installed on our mail
> server and their is no plans to install this application at this point and 
> time."

Pretty understandable.
 
> Surely if I had a permanent connection with a fixed ip running a mail 
> server I might not need or want their e-mail service at all.

You could still use it without a perminant connection.
Assuming you have a linux gateway (a reasonalbe assumption i think)

All you mail arrives at: daniel at iinet.net.au.
Use fetchmail to pull the mail from iiNet (pop3) and deliver it locally via 
what ever MTA (sendmail/postfix etc etc) to deliver it.  The MTA can intern
delicer mail to your loacl account via TMDA.

You gain the use of the application you want, iiNet don't have to support it.
 
> Would I be wrong in thinking that besides stopping their systems being used 
> for mail relay - they have no concerns about users receiving spam and if 
> pressed would probably just suggest the deletion method, or am I jumping to 
> conclusions?

The system has no effect on mail relaying.  only local delivery.  most
reasonabl MTA's have good relay control built in now.
 
> Wouldn't all ISPs benefit from reduced mail traffic and happier users if 
> they had something like tmda to bounce back unwanted e-mails?
> Isn't there a commercial benefit in it for them?  What am I missing?

It doesn't actually redice the mail consumption. It actually increases it.
consider:
Known Spammer -> you   (ie blacklist)
The mail still makes it to your mail box and is then deleted locally.
In terms of data moved no reduction.  In terms of diskspace a small saving.

Known Good Guy -> you   (ie whitelist)
mail is delivered as normal
In terms of data moved no reduction.  In terms of diskspace no saving.

UnKnown Spammer -> you
The mail arrives at you mailbox,  You relocate it into a "suspicious" folder.
send an email back to the originator.  Assuming the spammer doesn't infact
reply.  When you get arround to it the email will be removed.
In effect you just replied to the email!
Small data increase, disk space no change.  You haven't seen the email thats
all.
UnKnown Good Guy -> you
The mail arrives at you mailbox,  You relocate it into a "suspicious" folder.
send an email back to the originator.  The orignal sender replies to your
reply.  email gets moved into the "suspicous but probably okay" folder.
Small data increase, disk space no change.

In effect it will not save the ISP anything.  I'm not suggesting that a small
percentage of users using this system will have any real impact on the costs
to the ISP.  Each user needs to maintain their own {black,white}list.  So the
ISP  would need to provide scripts/web pages to _help_ the users.

They mightr be able to make money from it by putting together a nice package.
support staff, helper apps etc etc and then selling it as a low maintenance
High yeild service to thier custoimers.  Just a thought.

Yours Tony.

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