[WEB4LIB] RE: ORBS (was: Blocking email, the complaint)

[Dan Lester]

Wednesday, July 18, 2001, 8:40:00 AM, you wrote:
>>The very brief version is that ORBS was hosted in NZ. Two companies
MN> I had some first hand experience with ORBS a while back -- when I first came
MN> to my current position, I moved from a Novell world to an NT world.  I
MN> received e-mail from ORBS notifying me that we had an open relay, which I
MN> was able to close.  We're running IMS for our handful of e-mail accounts, by
MN> the way.  The bottom line is, they helped me out, they responded very
MN> quickly when the whole was patched, and were professional the whole way.

That fits with what I've heard from colleagues here in Idaho.  We just
started our own SMTP server yesterday in the library, and thanks to
ORBS and others are reasonably sure we now have it unable to handle
relaying.  The last thing I need to fill up our bandwidth or bog down
our web server is a bunch of spam.

MN> That being said, however, what immediately occurred to me was the fact that
MN> there database is in fact an open invitation to spammers -- need an open
MN> relay?  Check the ORBS database!  So it is a bit of a strong arm tactic,
MN> almost akin to blackmail:  close your relay or we're going to publish it for
MN> all spammers on the net!   I don't believe this was actually the intention
MN> or philosophy of the ORBS people, but by design it seemed to work out this
MN> way.

True enough.  It reminds me of when the first blocking software came
out some 7 years ago.  A colleague in our IT shop and I figured the
monthly update list would provide us a list of all the best new porn
sites.  8-)   Of course it was encrypted, as was the master list.  If
my blacklist was blocking porn, it would do the same thing, I guess.
I don't think the list is designed to help spammers, but if the
pressure of being on the list encourages some to change their ways,
either due to publicity, problems handling mail to other sites, or
being clobbered with spam themselves, then it has done what it is
designed to do.

I have absolutely no problem with those who choose to advertise by
bulk mail (paper or electronic) or by telephone solicitation.  I do
have a problem with those who do so by illegitimately using the
resources of others.  I'd certainly be unhappy with someone who was
running a phone calling boiler room and billing the charges to my
Qwest bill, just as I would be with someone sucking up my expensive
bandwidth.

cheers

dan

-- 
Dan Lester, Data Wrangler  dan at RiverOfData.com
3577 East Pecan, Boise, Idaho  83716-7115 USA
www.riverofdata.com  www.gailndan.com  Stop Global Whining!