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FTC vs. Open Relays, round 2
mbrain writes "PC World is reporting on a new federal program run by the FTC to close relays and proxies that serve as spam gateways. It's called 'Operation Secure Your Server'. The FTC will publicize this program by... sending tens of thousands of emails." I think it's a continuation of this program.
Stop SPAM by sending thousands of emails? That's funny.
Not everyone, of course -- I agree that some relays are open on purpose, and some people will disregard any official notice short of a search warrant delivered by a squad of riot cops. But I think this can't hurt.
>Does anything in CAN-SPAM make it unlawful to knowingly aid and abet spammers in the United States?
It's only knowingly when you've been told by the spammer he'll be using your relay for spamming.
I don't think that applies for someone uninvolved warning you that it might be. You aren't aiding and abetting someone stealing your car when you ignore the "keep your car locked" signs at the parking lot, are you? (I really, really, really hope not, anyways.)
If you could be told what you can see or read, then it follows that you could be told what to say or think - BoC
Whether you like it or not, there's nothing that's wrong about having open relays.
Bullshit. If your open relay is used by spammers, it inconveniences hundreds of thousands, or even millions of users. It costs ISPs and businesses money to deal with the spam that's spewing out of your open relay.
If I wish to leave my house door unlocked, it's not the business of the government to tell me I have to lock it. It may be irresponsible, but it's my right.
What a stupid analogy! If you leave your house unlocked, the only person likely to be hurt by it is you when you come home and find your stereo, PC, and TV gone. If you leave an open relay, you potentially hurt many innocent third parties. If you want a better analogy, it's like the government telling you that you can't leave a loaded shotgun on a picnic bench in a public park.
Just the same, I have the right to have an open relay and not close it. They have no right to tell me how to run my server. I accept the consequences of how I run it.
So does that mean that you're going to reimburse me and the other postmasters who have to deal with the spam? Are you going to compensate the users who got spam through your open relay? Are you willing to accept legal responsibility for the porn ads sent through your system to e-mail addresses of children? If not, in what way are you accepting the consequences?
"BSD: Free as in speech. Linux: Free as in beer. Windows 10: Free as in herpes." --Man On Pink Corner in #52607549.
Great, so your mail client deletes your crap mail. Meanwhile, your sysadmin has to keep beefing up the mail server(s) to handle the growing load.
Filtering at the client side just covers up the problem. You think you're helping, but you're actually just pulling the wool over your eyes.
I'm sure you're happy, but don't call it a solution. It doesn't scale.
That high-pitched buzz you hear is an unmanned attack drone flying over to blow your server room to a pile of rubble.
(It scares me that that scenario isn't completely implausible.)
Actually, if I got a letter from the FTC I might well look into what it said. But if I got an email supposedly from the FTC, I would likely just ignore it without even opening it (after forwarding a copy to uce@ftc.gov).
I'm an American. I love this country and the freedoms that we used to have.
What boggles my mind is how hostile people get towards end users of fairly complicated Mail hosting programs. Personally, I've had to deal with the people at ordb.org, and let me tell you, they're a bunch of jackasses about the whole thing. If you had a chance to read their old FAQ (they've since changed it), you could tell that whoever wrote it was getting off on forcing people to change their server settings as he saw fit. So, while I'm getting barked at by customers who's "e-mail won't work," I've got to sit through childish comments about how I suck as an admin. The whole thing really pissed me off.
I understand that many of you uber-users expect that every admin should know all the ins and outs of every server/program, but I'm afraid that's just not possible sometimes. Our Wireless ISP consisted of 3 technically-capable people. Between setting up people's connections, repairing relay sites (using both proprietary and OTS equipment), setting up servers, setting up routing, technical support, providing network content shaping, hosting/designing websites, setting up policy enforcement, documenting it all, securing the network, AND providing e-mail to boot, there's just not enough time to do everything and get it right the first time. BESIDES, what's so wrong about expecting things to work when you do a regular install?
Since when has default == basically broke?
-Grym