Slashdot Mirror


Spamhaus Guru Steve Linford Profiled

BenLev writes "The New York Times has an article profiling Spamhaus Project director Steve Linford. The feature goes behind the scenes at Spamhaus, 'one of the leading groups that is trying to make the world safe from junk e-mail', showing that it operates from Linford's houseboat on the Thames near London, spammers don't like him, and his volunteer corps likens itself to the X-Men."

12 of 191 comments (clear)

  1. Adding info to DNS servers by Space+cowboy · · Score: 4, Interesting

    What happened to that proposal to add records (as comments, so the DNS protocol wasn't broken) to the DNS saying that a domain was authoratative for the envelope 'From ' header ? That sounded like a good idea, so long as the MTA's took it up...

    Simon

    --
    Physicists get Hadrons!
    1. Re:Adding info to DNS servers by The+Famous+Brett+Wat · · Score: 5, Informative

      There are quite a number of such proposals. For instance...

      ...among others. The Internet Research Task Force Anti-Spam Research Group (IRTF ASRG) currently has a sub-group specifically dedicated to the unification of these proposals. This is a relatively recent initiative (only about a month old). You can find archives of the discussion at gmane.org.

      --
      proof, n. A demonstration that a conclusion is implied by certain premises and axioms.
  2. Yadda yadda yadda by Phroggy · · Score: 5, Informative
    --
    $x='S24;r)>63/* h@<5+oZ)32"5cz';$me='phroggy'x$];
    $x=~y+ -xz+\0-Tx+;print$_^chop$me for split'',$x;
  3. Bullcrap by Raul654 · · Score: 4, Informative

    1) That's 3 clicks per email * the rate at which you gets spams. It adds up after a while

    2) There's always the chance of a type 2 error - you could lose (either through accidental blocking or unintetional deleteing) an important email.

    3) You pay for the bandwidth that they waste, in the long run. They are simply shifting the price of getting in touch with you from themselves to you. In effect, they are calling you on your dime.

    --


    To make laws that man cannot, and will not obey, serves to bring all law into contempt.
    --E.C. Stanton
  4. Re:good idea. by Phroggy · · Score: 4, Informative

    I like the idea of the do not spam registry that they mention in the article. But it seems like a real pipe dream considering how much trouble there has been getting the do-not-call registry up and running.

    Compared to spammers, the sleaziest telemarketers are shining pillars of ethical perfection. Telemarketers will not abuse the Do Not Call list - if nothing else, than because they REALLY fear the FCC (and FTC or whoever winds up administering it). They run legitimate, legal businesses, and can't afford to run the risk of breaking the law.

    Spammers, on the other hand, care not for such things. If there ever were a Do Not Spam list created, and it was done in such a way that the list itself would not be published, you can bet somebody would write a script to randomly generate billions of e-mail addresses, check every one of them against the Do Not Spam list, compile a list of every e-mail address that matches, and sell it as a list of confirmed opt-in e-mail addresses on CD-ROM for $500.

    --
    $x='S24;r)>63/* h@<5+oZ)32"5cz';$me='phroggy'x$];
    $x=~y+ -xz+\0-Tx+;print$_^chop$me for split'',$x;
  5. Re:These guys block pretty large blocks. by Indy1 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    /20 isnt that agressive. Probably your isp kept moving the spammers around and spamhaus said fuck it and plonked a bigger range. Stop blamming the blacklists and start yelling at your isp to stop hosting spammers. If your going to live in a crackhouse, dont be surprised when your friends refuse to visit you.

    --
    Lawyers, MBA's, RIAA? A jedi fears not these things!
  6. Actually, you don't by simong · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You get email from someone pretending to be Spamhaus in order to discredit them.

  7. This doesn't seem to be helping... by DeionXxX · · Score: 5, Informative

    I don't know about everyone else but lately I've been trying to find work and I have come across atleast 4 opportunities to make 1.5 times my normal rate if I do some development related to spam. Each time I've interviewed I've told the employer that spam was a bad way to go and that it'd be illegal soon etc... but it seems like they've all had past experiences where spam has been highly profitable.

    -- D3X

    My latest endeavour... truly free porn www.NeoX3.com 5 mins movies supported by only a 15 sec commercial. No-popups or membership or catches.

  8. this didn't happen by accident by RMH101 · · Score: 4, Informative
    your ISP or their upstream is spam-friendly and RFC ignorant. they've repeatedly ignored LARTS for spam, and this is the price they pay. Your mail is only blocked by ISPs who've voluntarily signed up with SPEWS/Spamhaus because it works for them. The idea is you and all the other guys it's pissed off will complain/take your business elsewhere and the ISP will be encouraged to behave responsibly. They've already ignored warnings, hence the voluntary block.

  9. Re:epitome of laziness by Halo1 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Our university had two install 2 new mailservers just to be able to run all incoming mail through spamassassin. Do you think the spammers paid for that "small annoyance"?

    --
    Donate free food here
  10. SPF by KMSelf · · Score: 4, Informative

    SPF. Several proposals have been rolled up in this, under ASRG, including SPF, RMX, DMP, and related proprosals.

    --

    What part of "gestalt" don't you understand?

  11. Re:The end of spam by McDutchie · · Score: 4, Funny

    Ah, here is another one who has found the Final Ultimate Solution to the Spam Problem.