[OT] HELP!!! mail attack

[Tim]

Tim:
>> It's clear that you're one of those admins who doesn't see a problem
>> with throwing out the real mail, so long as you get rid of all the spam
>> at the same time.  I wouldn't hire anyone with that attitude, it's
>> wilful sabotage.

Alan Cox:
> It's solving the problem. Guess how internet routers solve packet
> overload - they throw random packets away.

Though, retrying is part of the game, that generally works.  It's not a
reliable thing to rely on as far as mail goes (losing the whole thing,
and whether any retry will be attempted).

Think of it like this:  If your filing system randomly destroyed files,
would that be okay since some of the files still remain?  Would you want
to keep on using that filing system?  Would you recommend it to others?

>> I run a business, I can't afford to lose a client, even a potential one,
>> because the mail got rejected, or the phone wasn't answered, etc.  I
>> know some of them won't retry, I know regular clients who won't retry, I
>> usually don't retry...

> There is a difference between throwing email away without the
> consent/permission of its owner and throwing it away with the consent.
> The people to whom I provide email are more than happy to lose the odd
> real email so they don't have to read through all the spam and are far
> more productive as a result.

Are they really aware of the ramifications of that?  And it's not
*their* mail that you're throwing away, it's the senders mail that
you're throwing away, you don't do that with their consent, nor even
knowledge.

> Also your client case is a bit spurious, most people whitelist clients.

How do you whitelist someone that you've never communicated with before?

-- 
(This computer runs FC7, my others run FC4, FC5 & FC6, in case that's
 important to the thread.)

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