Spam Stopper?

[Evoir]

Hi,

I just sent a friend an email to their earthlink account, and the email got intercepted by a program that asks me to verify who I am, you all know this kind of program... and once my friend tells the system that I am OK, it will allow email from me from here forward. I guess it is a whitelist system.

Is there anything like this that could be installed on the FQ servers, either individually, or as a whole? It seems like a great offering, for my clients who get spammed all the time.

[Syneryder]

I've heard of programs that do that, but the names of the programs elude me. As soon as I remember one that works with FQ, I'll check back in and mention it.

One thing is that those programs don't always work with automated systems. If your clients frequently subscribe to newsletters, or expect order receipts via email, they may start missing emails. But hey, I only mention that because I have a casual job clicking on those Earthlink email links! I work for a company that sends out a confirmed opt-in newsletter to thousands of subscribers, we get a lot of those emails each time we send them.

[sheila]

Evie,

The type of system that you experienced is called a "Challenge-response" email system.

While such a system is very convenient for the intended recipient, it does put the burden of filtering one's email on the sender. It also results in essentially autoresponses being sent to every unknown "sender" that sends an email to the intended recipient. This is extremely problematic for forged senders (people whose email addresses were used without their consent on spam emails and viruses). This can also result in the challenge emails being reported as spam and causing blacklistings against the mail servers for the intended recipient.

For these reasons, FutureQuest will not be offering a challenge-response system as part of our email services.

You would certainly be welcome to procure the services of some third-party that offers challenge-response systems. A number of our clients do this. A search on challenge response spam at google will return numerous links, including providers of such services as well as commentary on this type of filtering method (it is slightly controversial ).

Here are some links to previous discussions in these forums:
http://www.aota.net/forums/showthrea...9259#post89259
http://www.aota.net/forums/showthread.php?p=87777
http://www.aota.net/forums/showthrea...819#post118819
http://www.aota.net/forums/showthrea...824#post118824

[Evoir]

oh yeah. forged headers... duh. Sometimes I forget where my brain is.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Stecyk

Each user is rated for reliability, based on true spams identified and not identifying newsletters etc as spam.

Kevin, do you know how they do this? Does this mean that each report is reviewed by a real, live human? Do you know what their guidelines are regarding virus emails vs. spam email?

[Randall]

But hey, I only mention that because I have a casual job clicking on those Earthlink email links! I work for a company that sends out a confirmed opt-in newsletter to thousands of subscribers, we get a lot of those emails each time we send them.

Why does this give me flashbacks to The Matrix? "Wake up Syneryder... The Matrix has you..."

Randall

[TVB]

I get so annoyed by those earthlink replies everytime we send out a newsletter. I haven't seen too many earthlink addresses even subscribe lately which leads me to believe their market share has dropped significantly.

Wasn't this thread longer yesterday ?

[Randall]

I haven't seen too many earthlink addresses even subscribe lately which leads me to believe their market share has dropped significantly.

Or maybe their members gave up. "I must have subscribed to that newsletter 15 times by now, but I never get a blasted thing!"

Either that or because they kept getting yelled at by the list owners.

Wasn't this thread longer yesterday ?

Rich's post does seem to have been orphaned somehow.

Randall