Re: Problems with SPF, solutions, and a timeline.

John Levine <[email protected]> wrote:
> >  Great!  Where's your proposal on how to deal with that problem using
> >resources available in the network?
> >
> >  Oh... there isn't one.
> 
> ISPs that care have been dealing with this all along.
> ...

  Common industry practices are not the same as industry standards,
and those methods don't do much to fight the non-mail-spike spam
problem.

> I have to say that I'm kind of surprised that you're so unfamiliar
> with this aspect of ISP operational life.

  I feel special to be insulted like this.  

  Back to the topic at hand: Can you point me to a standards document
which describes this system, proves it works, and demonstrates how
this system stops all spam?

  I don't think one exists.  Some things are so obvious that they're
never written down.  And spammers can trivially work around this
system by varying the sources they use over time, or by continually
sending low-level amounts of spam from 10's of 1000's of sources.

  So by your own argument against LMAP, there's no point in catching
such mail spikes, because spammers can always trivially work around
them, by changing their sending methods.

  Why, then are you catching such spikes?  Maybe it's because doing so
helps fight one variety of spam.  If so, why the opposition to LMAP?


  While these discussions are allegedly about technical issues, I
don't really think they are.  The root conflict is one of outlook, and
that can't be changed by technological means.

  Alan DeKok.