Deb
01-23-2005, 06:48 PM
This message is being posted as an informational notice concerning how and why issues, such as the most recently discussed issue with AOL, are being handled. The arguments, concerns, and general distaste for the complaints clients are receiving from FutureQuest, as the "bringer of bad news", by way of complaints brought against FutureQuest, from other networks such as AOL, are something we do sympathize with. However, I felt it was important for us to explain our position in this situation, within the forums, for clarity, for reference, and for discussion if you so choose to discuss it.
Regardless whether or not FutureQuest agrees or disagrees with the policies of other networks, and regardless whether or not you agree with the policies of other networks, neither you nor FutureQuest can single-handedly change those policies overnight nor is it likely that, even working together, we could change them quickly. What is a guarantee is that if we ignore their policies, we, and those who share these services with us, can all be blocked from being able to connect and communicate with those that use the other provider's services. The other guarantee is that when the "innocent argue with the innocent", the "guilty" are not affected in any negative way whatsoever.
Using the AOL Network as our example, since they are of primary concern currently and their policies are freshest in our minds, we all know how detrimental it would be to FutureQuest as a company, as well as thousands of FutureQuest's clients, if a blockade were to happen between AOL and the FutureQuest Network. This is _NOT_ something FutureQuest is able to risk for the sake of our own well being and the well being of thousands of our clients.
For this reason, FutureQuest is putting forth the human time/energy/money to ensure each and every client receives a notice concerning each and every complaint that is brought against each and every account they have serviced by FutureQuest. If a client requires multiple notices, or an investigation of that client's usage habits reveals a situation that is likely to generate more complaints, then FutureQuest currently has no choice but to restrict that client from doing whatever it is they were doing that caused the complaints to be received.
ONE COMPLAINT MAY BE ALL IT TAKES. If every client were to get one complaint today -- that may be all that's required for every client to be blocked.
This restriction may be in the form of demanding they stop forwarding mail to AOL (or other provider as the case may become) or updating a mailing list to a clearly defined comfirmed opt-in status, or changing a SpamAssassin setting or halting an autoresponder, or anything else that may help to resolve the complaints being placed against the FutureQuest Network due to that client's usage habits. This is true REGARDLESS of our agreement or disagreement with the basis of the original complaint.
If FutureQuest does not enforce our policies, which includes the prevention of breaking the policies of others -- thousands will suffer the consequences. If you do not agree with the policies of others you have the option of either ensuring you do NOT support/use their services or contacting them in an attempt to change their policies. I personally wish FutureQuest had the option of "banning" certain "others", however, in this business doing so would only serve to take us off the internet in short order :( Remember, arguing with us, or even each other, over the policies of others is not the same as arguing with "the others" directly ;)
FutureQuest's Terms of Service (http://www.FutureQuest.net/Services/TOS/) clearly states right near the top:
Conformance with the Policies of Others: Account Holder shall not use, nor shall it recklessly or knowingly permit others to use, the FutureQuest Services: (a) in violation of the terms set forth by other Internet Service Providers (ISPs), where data is carried across networks of other ISPs; or (b) in violation of the terms set forth by FutureQuest's providers of which Account Holder has knowledge.
The above policy simply means that you can not use any part of the FutureQuest Network or services to violate the rules of another network.
Admittedly, when that policy was created the "policies of others" were not the same as they are now. Nevertheless, the Term must still be adhered to. Just as different states and/or countries have different laws, various networks have various Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policies.
When your feet leave the ground of one country and land on the ground of another country, you are now obligated to follow the laws of that other country. Oftentimes this means not bringing perfectly good and healthy fruit across the border. Consider your email a piece of fruit and the sending of it from one network to another, crossing the border. The country you are coming from may feel the fruit is fine. The country you are going to does not. This means you can either keep your fruit in the country that allows it, or, or, or ummmm, nothing. Unless you want to risk breaking the laws of the other country; for which, if caught, there will be consequences.
Unfortunately the consequences of the email laws are far more severe and far reaching than the consequences of smuggling a single orange across the border. Smuggling a little orange likely will not cause "The Wall" to be put back up or another cold (or hot) war between the two countries. Trying to sneak your email across the border, however, will create "The Wall" between the two networks and many can suffer as a result. Getting "The Wall" built is much easier and faster than it is to get that wall taken back down.
If it sounds terribly serious and somehow exaggerated... it's because it IS that serious.
Now let's look at one of AOL's policies.
Complaints submitted by AOL members will be used as a basis for refusing connections from any mail server.
Reference: http://postmaster.aol.com/
Folks, if you must send email to AOL, which we perfectly understand because we do ourselves. It is IMPERATIVE that you educate yourself throughoughly about AOL's policies and the actions of the recipient of your message.
If the recipient complains to a provider such as AOL, with a policy like the one above, then you have successfully broken their policy, generated a complaint against FutureQuest, which then turns into FutureQuest sending you a complaint, which, if required, will turn into a service restriction placed upon your account.
Arguing with FutureQuest over this issue will only serve to cause us to have to spend more time on the complaint generated by AOL e.g. cost you and us both more time/money/energy while costing 'the other provider' nothing and generating no change whatsoever in the policies or procedures. It will not help to resolve the issue with AOL and their client.
Continuing to ignore the problem with AOL, thereby continuing to "violate their policies" which is a "violation of our policies" will serve to either get all of FutureQuest blocked by AOL, or you blocked (terminated) by FutureQuest. Requesting FutureQuest to "resolve the issue with AOL" is arguably the same as requesting FutureQuest to remove all email services from our web site hosting plans, or at minimum require internal mailings only, or at best, allowing external mailings with the exception of mailings bound for [insert growing network list here]. E.g. we cannot afford to purchase some mythical guaranteed white list from AOL for the entire FutureQuest Network :P To ensure mail continues to flow, is to ensure we continue to maintain this situation as a community effort by ensuring no one in the community breaks the rules of other networks. Impossible? Probably. Possible to at least keep it to a minimum to avoid "The Wall" absolutely! :)
My simplistic feeling on how this happened is:
-------
The soil == those who respond to and make money from spam
The seed == the true spammers and networks that support them
The water == the hard core anti-spammers that have helped to create and push for some of the erroneous anti-spam policies
The fruit of this combination = the trouble we now find ourselves in.
-------
Mind you, I am NOT discounting the anti-spam efforts in any way. I am simply noting that large networks, such as AOL, have responded to these requests with a hand as tough as the hand of the anti-spammers for lack of a better solution or the finance to deal with such a large scale issue. Their solution is cheap and effective in its simplest automated form....
So in summary:
FutureQuest's Policy is:
Conformance with the Policies of Others: Account Holder shall not use, nor shall it recklessly or knowingly permit others to use, the FutureQuest Services: (a) in violation of the terms set forth by other Internet Service Providers (ISPs), where data is carried across networks of other ISPs; or (b) in violation of the terms set forth by FutureQuest's providers of which Account Holder has knowledge.
We have that policy for several obvious reasons and cannot afford to allow it to be broken as the consequences are severe whether imposed by state/federal laws or by the rules of other networks and/or internet users.
"The policies of others" are just that. The policy of others.
Example:
Complaints submitted by AOL members will be used as a basis for refusing connections from any mail server.
Reference: http://postmaster.aol.com/guidelines/standards.html/
Note I bolded "mail server" to emphasis that the "other network" is not interested in blocking "just the violator" but rather, the entire server that supports that violator...e.g. everyone who uses it not just 'the one'.
So please try to keep yourself abreast of the policies "of others". FutureQuest is doing the same and will alert you to these situations as we are alerted to them. And remember, when you use any part of our network services to connect or send to any part of another network's services, you are now obligated to follow not only FutureQuest's policies but the policies of the network you are connecting to.
If you do not like the policies of a provider, it's important that you make this point clear with the other provider and, where possible, work to change it by either not using their services (yes, if you send an email to their network you are using their services), or communicating with them about it. Arguing with AOL about FutureQuest's policies will bring little to no results. For FutureQuest to hear you, you need to "argue with us". Arguing with FutureQuest about AOL's policies will also bring little to no results. For AOL to hear you, you need to "argue with them".
Again, please note, that though I use AOL within this notice as the primary example of "other networks" and "the policies of others", the policy of FutureQuest remains the same and applies to ALL OTHER NETWORKS not just AOL. FutureQuest and its clients all suffer when another network feels the need to block us from connecting to their services. So remember, it's not "just AOL". AOL just happens to be the one affecting our clients the most right now.
Also note, MANY of FutureQuest's clients have been EXTREMELY courteous, cooperative, friendly, and anything but argumentative. We absolutely appreciate those of you who have handled yourselves and these complaints with the utmost in professionalism. Those who have been helpful by providing more tips for how to deal with these situations are greatly appreciated! Those who help us to resolve these issues in a "short and sweet" responsive manner save an enormous amount of time for both yourselves and the FutureQuest team. We thank you.
The need for this post is to provide yet another way of looking at the situation and hopefully an understanding of why FutureQuest must address situations of this nature in the manner that we are. Many of us "only see an innocent orange". It's often difficult to understand the reasons "crossing the border with that orange" is such a big deal. Let me assure you, a single innocent email has in fact become "that big of a deal" and thus being responsive and professional in handling the effects of the complaint it may generate will be most helpful in bringing forth the end goal of allowing FutureQuest to continue servicing all aspects of your account successfully.
Now if you made it this far in such a wordy post... I commend you :bow:
Deb
- Remember - we are on your side :)
Regardless whether or not FutureQuest agrees or disagrees with the policies of other networks, and regardless whether or not you agree with the policies of other networks, neither you nor FutureQuest can single-handedly change those policies overnight nor is it likely that, even working together, we could change them quickly. What is a guarantee is that if we ignore their policies, we, and those who share these services with us, can all be blocked from being able to connect and communicate with those that use the other provider's services. The other guarantee is that when the "innocent argue with the innocent", the "guilty" are not affected in any negative way whatsoever.
Using the AOL Network as our example, since they are of primary concern currently and their policies are freshest in our minds, we all know how detrimental it would be to FutureQuest as a company, as well as thousands of FutureQuest's clients, if a blockade were to happen between AOL and the FutureQuest Network. This is _NOT_ something FutureQuest is able to risk for the sake of our own well being and the well being of thousands of our clients.
For this reason, FutureQuest is putting forth the human time/energy/money to ensure each and every client receives a notice concerning each and every complaint that is brought against each and every account they have serviced by FutureQuest. If a client requires multiple notices, or an investigation of that client's usage habits reveals a situation that is likely to generate more complaints, then FutureQuest currently has no choice but to restrict that client from doing whatever it is they were doing that caused the complaints to be received.
ONE COMPLAINT MAY BE ALL IT TAKES. If every client were to get one complaint today -- that may be all that's required for every client to be blocked.
This restriction may be in the form of demanding they stop forwarding mail to AOL (or other provider as the case may become) or updating a mailing list to a clearly defined comfirmed opt-in status, or changing a SpamAssassin setting or halting an autoresponder, or anything else that may help to resolve the complaints being placed against the FutureQuest Network due to that client's usage habits. This is true REGARDLESS of our agreement or disagreement with the basis of the original complaint.
If FutureQuest does not enforce our policies, which includes the prevention of breaking the policies of others -- thousands will suffer the consequences. If you do not agree with the policies of others you have the option of either ensuring you do NOT support/use their services or contacting them in an attempt to change their policies. I personally wish FutureQuest had the option of "banning" certain "others", however, in this business doing so would only serve to take us off the internet in short order :( Remember, arguing with us, or even each other, over the policies of others is not the same as arguing with "the others" directly ;)
FutureQuest's Terms of Service (http://www.FutureQuest.net/Services/TOS/) clearly states right near the top:
Conformance with the Policies of Others: Account Holder shall not use, nor shall it recklessly or knowingly permit others to use, the FutureQuest Services: (a) in violation of the terms set forth by other Internet Service Providers (ISPs), where data is carried across networks of other ISPs; or (b) in violation of the terms set forth by FutureQuest's providers of which Account Holder has knowledge.
The above policy simply means that you can not use any part of the FutureQuest Network or services to violate the rules of another network.
Admittedly, when that policy was created the "policies of others" were not the same as they are now. Nevertheless, the Term must still be adhered to. Just as different states and/or countries have different laws, various networks have various Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policies.
When your feet leave the ground of one country and land on the ground of another country, you are now obligated to follow the laws of that other country. Oftentimes this means not bringing perfectly good and healthy fruit across the border. Consider your email a piece of fruit and the sending of it from one network to another, crossing the border. The country you are coming from may feel the fruit is fine. The country you are going to does not. This means you can either keep your fruit in the country that allows it, or, or, or ummmm, nothing. Unless you want to risk breaking the laws of the other country; for which, if caught, there will be consequences.
Unfortunately the consequences of the email laws are far more severe and far reaching than the consequences of smuggling a single orange across the border. Smuggling a little orange likely will not cause "The Wall" to be put back up or another cold (or hot) war between the two countries. Trying to sneak your email across the border, however, will create "The Wall" between the two networks and many can suffer as a result. Getting "The Wall" built is much easier and faster than it is to get that wall taken back down.
If it sounds terribly serious and somehow exaggerated... it's because it IS that serious.
Now let's look at one of AOL's policies.
Complaints submitted by AOL members will be used as a basis for refusing connections from any mail server.
Reference: http://postmaster.aol.com/
Folks, if you must send email to AOL, which we perfectly understand because we do ourselves. It is IMPERATIVE that you educate yourself throughoughly about AOL's policies and the actions of the recipient of your message.
If the recipient complains to a provider such as AOL, with a policy like the one above, then you have successfully broken their policy, generated a complaint against FutureQuest, which then turns into FutureQuest sending you a complaint, which, if required, will turn into a service restriction placed upon your account.
Arguing with FutureQuest over this issue will only serve to cause us to have to spend more time on the complaint generated by AOL e.g. cost you and us both more time/money/energy while costing 'the other provider' nothing and generating no change whatsoever in the policies or procedures. It will not help to resolve the issue with AOL and their client.
Continuing to ignore the problem with AOL, thereby continuing to "violate their policies" which is a "violation of our policies" will serve to either get all of FutureQuest blocked by AOL, or you blocked (terminated) by FutureQuest. Requesting FutureQuest to "resolve the issue with AOL" is arguably the same as requesting FutureQuest to remove all email services from our web site hosting plans, or at minimum require internal mailings only, or at best, allowing external mailings with the exception of mailings bound for [insert growing network list here]. E.g. we cannot afford to purchase some mythical guaranteed white list from AOL for the entire FutureQuest Network :P To ensure mail continues to flow, is to ensure we continue to maintain this situation as a community effort by ensuring no one in the community breaks the rules of other networks. Impossible? Probably. Possible to at least keep it to a minimum to avoid "The Wall" absolutely! :)
My simplistic feeling on how this happened is:
-------
The soil == those who respond to and make money from spam
The seed == the true spammers and networks that support them
The water == the hard core anti-spammers that have helped to create and push for some of the erroneous anti-spam policies
The fruit of this combination = the trouble we now find ourselves in.
-------
Mind you, I am NOT discounting the anti-spam efforts in any way. I am simply noting that large networks, such as AOL, have responded to these requests with a hand as tough as the hand of the anti-spammers for lack of a better solution or the finance to deal with such a large scale issue. Their solution is cheap and effective in its simplest automated form....
So in summary:
FutureQuest's Policy is:
Conformance with the Policies of Others: Account Holder shall not use, nor shall it recklessly or knowingly permit others to use, the FutureQuest Services: (a) in violation of the terms set forth by other Internet Service Providers (ISPs), where data is carried across networks of other ISPs; or (b) in violation of the terms set forth by FutureQuest's providers of which Account Holder has knowledge.
We have that policy for several obvious reasons and cannot afford to allow it to be broken as the consequences are severe whether imposed by state/federal laws or by the rules of other networks and/or internet users.
"The policies of others" are just that. The policy of others.
Example:
Complaints submitted by AOL members will be used as a basis for refusing connections from any mail server.
Reference: http://postmaster.aol.com/guidelines/standards.html/
Note I bolded "mail server" to emphasis that the "other network" is not interested in blocking "just the violator" but rather, the entire server that supports that violator...e.g. everyone who uses it not just 'the one'.
So please try to keep yourself abreast of the policies "of others". FutureQuest is doing the same and will alert you to these situations as we are alerted to them. And remember, when you use any part of our network services to connect or send to any part of another network's services, you are now obligated to follow not only FutureQuest's policies but the policies of the network you are connecting to.
If you do not like the policies of a provider, it's important that you make this point clear with the other provider and, where possible, work to change it by either not using their services (yes, if you send an email to their network you are using their services), or communicating with them about it. Arguing with AOL about FutureQuest's policies will bring little to no results. For FutureQuest to hear you, you need to "argue with us". Arguing with FutureQuest about AOL's policies will also bring little to no results. For AOL to hear you, you need to "argue with them".
Again, please note, that though I use AOL within this notice as the primary example of "other networks" and "the policies of others", the policy of FutureQuest remains the same and applies to ALL OTHER NETWORKS not just AOL. FutureQuest and its clients all suffer when another network feels the need to block us from connecting to their services. So remember, it's not "just AOL". AOL just happens to be the one affecting our clients the most right now.
Also note, MANY of FutureQuest's clients have been EXTREMELY courteous, cooperative, friendly, and anything but argumentative. We absolutely appreciate those of you who have handled yourselves and these complaints with the utmost in professionalism. Those who have been helpful by providing more tips for how to deal with these situations are greatly appreciated! Those who help us to resolve these issues in a "short and sweet" responsive manner save an enormous amount of time for both yourselves and the FutureQuest team. We thank you.
The need for this post is to provide yet another way of looking at the situation and hopefully an understanding of why FutureQuest must address situations of this nature in the manner that we are. Many of us "only see an innocent orange". It's often difficult to understand the reasons "crossing the border with that orange" is such a big deal. Let me assure you, a single innocent email has in fact become "that big of a deal" and thus being responsive and professional in handling the effects of the complaint it may generate will be most helpful in bringing forth the end goal of allowing FutureQuest to continue servicing all aspects of your account successfully.
Now if you made it this far in such a wordy post... I commend you :bow:
Deb
- Remember - we are on your side :)