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Removing Site from Spam Filters and ISP Blocks?
Blaine Garrett asks: "I run a small online art community called the Art Attack. A lot of my members that sign up are not getting their welcome emails and newsletters. Most often, I cannot even directly email the members. Services such as hotmail automatically put email from my server in the junk mail folder. A while back someone was using the server to bounce spam. I am not sure if this is the direct cause, or not. Is there away to get off the spammer lists of these big services? Additionally, I have been informed that, since the site contains art depicting nudity, ISPs have been blocking the IP of my server. This is rather annoying since I also provide web hosting for other sites on the server. I'm losing customers and hits. Is there a way around this?" With respect to the Spam lists, this article might be helpful, but it may be harder to get the server removed, considering it has already been marked as an open relay. It will be harder to get your server out of ISP Filters, however. One man's "art" can always become another man's "porn", and convincing them otherwise will be difficult to impossible, especially since there is nudity on the site. What suggestions do you have for Mr. Garret, in terms of helping him get his site off of as many lists as possible?
1) Fix your mail server. If you're not sure it's fixed, hire an administrator. This includes migrating away from a spammy network, if you live in a slum don't be surprised when you can't get a pizza delivered.
2) Determine if you are listed in any public DNSBLs or RHSBLs. If so, check the website for a way to request a retest and removal. Failing that, contact the maintainers. Get yourself removed from these first.
3) Gather a list of ISPs which are blocking you directly. When you are sure you've got all your ducks in a row with steps 1 and 2, contact postmaster@ those ISPs, explain the situation, and politely request a reevaluation of your status. Be polite but persistant. If you don't make any headway in e-mail (or if postmaster@ doesn't accept mail -- a contravention of RFC) contact them by phone and then paper letter. Keep things polite. Don't go making insults or legal threats...speaking personally as an admin, this will get you on my "do not remove until the heat death of the universe" blacklist with a quickness. You have no rights to the pipe I pay for.
NOTE: All bets are off if you're actually just a spammer (this includes unconfirmed opt-in), or are an ISP who has had a relapse after claiming to turn over a new leaf. In either of those cases, I will at my discretion block you and anything you're associated with, forever.
The definition of porn is in the beholders eye. Move it someplace else. If you know of any filters, make sure to ask them to place that domain on their list. Your first order of defense is to get your own house in order. I'd block all porn domains myself if I could, and I'm not sure I'd care thats your is really art. However by recignising the difference you are going a step in their direction. (If there is any meta data you can place in the html or elsewhere to indicate objectional content please do, but I'm not aware of anything useful) Mostly you are doing this so that I can block all the porn from you, and still get to other content. You might want to do similear things about violent art, if that applies.
Solve the spam problem. Make sure you are no longer a relay. Then setup spf in your dns, with a -all tag. (that is reject everything not on the list). Setup a password protected SMTP relay if you must. Publish this, so those who monitor such thing know you are doing it. (and this can be looked up)
Have a valid postmaster address, and make sure someone responds to it.
Make sure your provider has a strong anti-spam stance. (Otherwise SPEWs will block you anyway no matter how honest you are) Switch if you must.
Now that your house is in order, start getting it removed. Start with news.admin.email-abuse (not sure what it is called exactly). Detail all of the above, and ask how you can be removed. Expect someone to test it. Deal with any issues that come up. Deal with any suggestions they might have.
Contact individually those who domains who do not respond to the above post within a month. Thats right, it will take at least a month for things to work through the system. If nothing else because conservative admins want to make sure you really are dealing with the problem now.
If your own house isn't in order though, the worst thing you can do is try to get yourself off spam lists, that only gets your further on them.