Re: Can or cannot this link be resolved?

"Jan M. Nelken" wrote in message
> Tracking URL is:
>
> http://www.spamcop.net/sc?id=z893785525z78007b39eb7150585dfb33e7dd17d2fbz
>
> Spamcop states that:
>
> Resolving link obfuscation
>
http://comradecur.peruvian.org.horehoundberg.f17263.net#jamestownbuddhist
>     Host comradecur.peruvian.org.horehoundberg.f17263.net (checking ip) IP
not
> found ; comradecur.peruvian.org.horehoundberg.f17263.net discarded as
fake.
> Tracking link:
> http://comradecur.peruvian.org.horehoundberg.f17263.net#jamestownbuddhist
> No recent reports, no history available
> Cannot resolve
> http://comradecur.peruvian.org.horehoundberg.f17263.net#jamestownbuddhist
>
> However - both IE and Mozilla/Firefox bring this page without problem.
> Does Mozilla knows something Spamcop does not?
>

Or was the SpamCop.net parser simply presciently knowing that
website had lost its hosting ISP and is now not resolving?  More
likely the problem was a flakey or pokey nameserver as was
set to respond too slowly to resolve for the parser.  It is not
unusual for spamvending sites to resolve slowly:  Apparently
this is a "spammy" maneuver to prevent automated SpamCop.net
notifies.  Does not seem to have helped in this case, however,
as the domain appears not to be hosted at this time.

While IE and Mozilla may wait with enduring patience for a URL
to resolve, the robotic parser has a preset timeout window and
quickly runs out of patience with a slowly responding nameserver.
I can also fancy that SpamCop.net IPAs are knowable, and as
such, may be firewall blocked from accessing spamvending servers.

I perceive an issue of perspective:  Things may look differently
depending on when you are looking and where you may be
looking from.  I doubt the mentioned browsers are inherently
more clever than the robotic parser, but the parser is by design
not permitted to "hang" interminably for an unresponsive spammy
nameserver.  The parser sez, "call Phydeaux, I give up":  The
attitude is enlightened ignorance rather than outright stupidity.

Drive on!
-g