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View Full Version : [FQuest Announce] ezmlm-idx Mass Email Handling Change


Deb
01-20-2006, 02:04 PM
Due to the way RBLs (realtime blackhole lists) and other large networks are blocking IPs to prevent spam, the most compelling of which being issues with AOL as noted in this thread (http://www.aota.net/forums/showthread.php?t=20784), FutureQuest has moved the handling of ezmlm-idx generated email back to the Community Servers.

This change enables RBLs to list/block the IP of the specific account that generated the messages rather than the IPs of the entire server that sends out high volume mail for a large number of clients. E.g. when a client sends a large amount of mailing list messages to AOL users, and providing AOL chooses to blacklist that sender, AOL will now blacklist the IP of that client's sending domain rather than the IP of FutureQuest's entire high volume mail server.

This change also enables individual site owners to request whitelisting from AOL (http://postmaster.aol.com/tools/whitelist_guides.html), if needed. However, you should note that choosing to do so, and the responsibility of maintaining such an agreement would be between you and AOL. FutureQuest in no way accepts any responsibility in the area of advising for, against, or supporting such an agreement.

Important Note:
It is the responsibility of the site owners, that choose to send email to any other network (e.g. another host, AOL, Hotmail, etc) to ensure that their messages do not break any of the rules of the receiving network. The blocking of a single IP by another provider will require the site owner using that IP to take any action possible to remove that block.

For those that remember why ezmlm-idx bulk email messages were moved to high volume mail servers, and are concerned about email issues as a result of moving ezmlm-idx handling back to the community servers, there have been a few important changes since that time. Of note:

1: Qmail now uses the domain's assigned IP for sending email. This means all email from any single domain, including messages sent with ezmlm-idx, show that domain's IP address as opposed to the community server's IP address.

2: All ezmlm-idx mailing list messages will still be handled in a completely separate email queue. This prevents any potential backlog of ezmlm-idx bulk mailings from affecting normal email delivery.

3: FutureQuest has made many advances and improvements within the Qmail delivery process and those optimizations have made the processing of bulk email handling more resource friendly in a community server environment.

For the record, FutureQuest still feels that having ezmlm-idx email handled on servers separated from the community servers is the superior solution. Nevertheless, we have been forced to restructure how Qmail delivers mailing lists to satisfy the demands of the much harsher spam fighting tactics created by larger providers. By making this change we have greatly decreased the risk of having your mailings blacklisted due to the mailing habits of another client.

FutureQuest, Inc.
http://www.FutureQuest.net

Armand
01-20-2006, 04:00 PM
Umm... but those of us who are legacy and haven't been given a specific IP for our domain will still be subject to the blocking of others using the same IP though no?

Deb
01-20-2006, 04:13 PM
Everyone will always have some risk...it's the joy of using a network that others use... but as explained in the post "By making this change we have greatly decreased the risk".

A risk of someone you have been sharing an IP with for years is much less than the risk of having any/everyone on the server new or old causing you a problem ;)

We also keep a close eye on the shared IP users in that if someone were to cause you a problem...we'd deal with them swiftly and remove them for your shared IP to clear the problem as quickly as possible.

Deb
- The only thing guaranteed in life is..... :dunno:

Armand
01-20-2006, 04:22 PM
True... pretty much what I figured. Just thought that point may be of use to others besides myself. (How many of us have a shared IP? not a clue)

KAT
01-20-2006, 11:02 PM
The problem is people who send spam using my email address, name@domainname.com, who have nothing to do with me at all! I get "return" emails frequently saying the email didn't get to the address, when the email wasn't sent by me but had my return address.

Sure wish there were some way of preventing people from using fake email addresses. Oh well, internet, the wild frontier.:hrmm:

sheila
01-21-2006, 12:40 AM
The problem is people who send spam using my email address, name@domainname.com, who have nothing to do with me at all! I get "return" emails frequently saying the email didn't get to the address, when the email wasn't sent by me but had my return address.

Sure wish there were some way of preventing people from using fake email addresses. Oh well, internet, the wild frontier.:hrmm:
Hello Kat,

Your concern is a completely separate issue, and not related to the ezmlm mailing list software or server.

We do have a Knowledgebase article that addresses your concern:
Why does this spam look like I sent it? (http://service.FutureQuest.net/kb112)

If you have further questions on this topic, then I would suggest posting in a thread that is related to your concern, such as this one:
Someone using my account to spam? (http://www.aota.net/forums/showthread.php?p=143384)

But the bottom line, is that there is no method for preventing someone from forging your email address as the sender address on an email.