[Mimedefang] FTC asks ISPs to crack down on zombie PCs

[Gary Schrock]

At 01:44 PM 5/25/2005, you wrote:
>   Can you broaden my vision of thing and give some exemples where the
>hoster's smtp server and the ISP smtp server is not enough so you would
>want to use your own internal smtp server to send emails from a
>dsl/cable line ?  As far as my short sight see the only reason i see is
>hidding behing unstable ip and fairly untrackable source (yes this is
>fairly limited but meant to make people react and enlighten me rather
>than drop this mail to the trashcan :) ?

It's not so much that I'd want to use an internal server on my adsl 
network, but that I should NEVER be forced to use the isp's mail 
server.  Blocking outgoing port 25 prevents me from using my own legit 
business server at work.  Why would I want to send my email through a large 
isp server where it will take who knows how long to make it through the 
system, when I can send it through my controlled work server, which has 
very little load and I know the email will get through right away?  (Ok, 
maybe if they don't block 587 also, but let's face it, it's just a matter 
of time before isp's start doing that too).  I've never quite figured out 
where the attitude that if I'm using an isp for internet access then I 
should be happy using them for mail service also came about.

Sure, by all means, if you see someone sending an unusual amount of email 
from an adsl line, investigate that.  But don't expect me to stick around 
and do business with you if you treat me as a second class citizen.

For the record, SBC's dsl started doing this (in michigan at least), and 
started doing it without any advanced warning no less.  But at least they 
provided an option for letting you get exempted from the block.