Comcast and Shaw cable users

[Brett Dikeman]

As reported by Huw, several Comcast mail servers are now on a spam 
blacklist and mail from Comcast users stands a good chance of being 
bounced by Audifans.  I have also received a report that Shaw Cable 
is getting blocked as well.  We use the Spamcop IP address blacklist, 
which checks to see if a connecting mail server attempting to give 
audifans mail has been reported as a spam source in the past.  This 
is why you may get your message returned.  This has two intended 
effects:

a)it brings attention to users that their internet service provider 
is sending spam, or being used to send spam, and possibly doing 
nothing about it.  Users can click on a URL in the bounce message to 
see an explanation of why their message was bounced, and even click 
on another link to see the exact details of how their mail server has 
been involved in spamming.

b)cuts down on the amount of spam that makes it through to the lists 
(they get caught by the list software, but it's a major PITA to clear 
it out; the quattro list, even with our strict server-side controls 
in place, gets virtually bombarded with spam)

It has an unintened effect as well- it prevents people from posting. 
I never expected that a major internet service provider would end up 
on the blacklist.  It presents a conundrum- it's not our fault- it's 
your internet service provider's fault, and they need to fix the 
problem.  At the same time, listers need to be able to post.  I'm 
going to discuss what to do with Dan tomorrow morning.

By the way, for Comcast- the evidence is pretty clear; here's one of 
the reports:

http://www.spamcop.net/w3m?action=blcheck&ip=204.127.202.56

You will notice that it has been reported 80 times by 40 people, been 
caught sending mail to a spam trap(an email address "fed" to 
spammers, essentially, to see who uses them; a sort of sting, if you 
will) and at least 2 other Comcast mail servers have been also been 
reported as spam sources.

I strongly encourage you to complain to your internet service 
provider if you get a bounce message; it's important that they take 
fighting spam seriously.

Brett
-- 
"They that give up essential liberty to obtain temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Ben Franklin
http://www.users.cloud9.net/~brett/