Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Paul Graham Describes Dangers of Spam Blacklists

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the what-we're-stuck-with dept.

CRoby writes "Paul Graham posted an essay describing the danger and corruption of the main spammer blacklists today. It discusses MAPS and the SBL, the blacklist created to try to alleviate the abuses of MAPS, and suggests (maybe) another blacklist's creation."

8 of 611 comments (clear)

  1. $article_title by $blowhard by Neil+Blender · · Score: 4, Funny

    $idea will not help cut down on spam. In fact, it is detrimental. This has been know for $num_years years, but I feel I must prove that I am really smart by writing an article about it.

  2. Re:In soviet russia by TeacherOfHeroes · · Score: 2, Funny

    In Soviet Russia; old, tired, worn-out joke tells you

  3. Oblig. Simpsons Reference by Mr.Progressive · · Score: 3, Funny

    Blacklists have a structural flaw: there is no one to watch the watchers.

    Lisa: If you're the police, who will police the police?
    Homer: I 'unno, Coast Guard?

    --
    Okay, so a philosopher, a philologist, and a philatelist walk into a bar...
  4. Stopping spam is easy. by jellomizer · · Score: 2, Funny

    Just block the sub net 0.0.0.0

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  5. Re:OK, I'll go first: how is this legal?! by Otter · · Score: 2, Funny
    1) They're based in the UK.

    That makes a defamation / slander / libel suit much easier, not harder.

    --
    What I'm listening to now on Pandora...
  6. Private blocklists. by Pig+Hogger · · Score: 3, Funny
    There are many, many private blocklists that are not advertised anywhere.

    Here is my very own private /etc/mail/access blocklist which I use on my own mail server:

    #
    12.217.112 550 Mediacom. Heh. What a fucking spamming cesspool. So why not eat shit and die???
    12.217.113 550 Mediacom. Heh. What a fucking spamming cesspool. So why not eat shit and die???
    12.217.114 550 Mediacom. Heh. What a fucking spamming cesspool. So why not eat shit and die???
    12.217.115 550 Mediacom. Heh. What a fucking spamming cesspool. So why not eat shit and die???
    12.217.116 550 Mediacom. Heh. What a fucking spamming cesspool. So why not eat shit and die???
    12.217.117 550 Mediacom. Heh. What a fucking spamming cesspool. So why not eat shit and die???
    12.217.118 550 Mediacom. Heh. What a fucking spamming cesspool. So why not eat shit and die???
    12.217.119 550 Mediacom. Heh. What a fucking spamming cesspool. So why not eat shit and die???
    24 550 Comcast, when you'll have cleaned your zombies, you can knock here. Not before.
    24.174 550 Chuck Jones must be spinning in his grave when he see he's associated with spam. Close port 25, fuckers.
    59.0 550 It's not surprizing that a country split in two like Korea would have a totally fucked-up "internet".
    59.10 550 It's not surprizing that a country split in two like Korea would have a totally fucked-up "internet".
    59.1 550 It's not surprizing that a country split in two like Korea would have a totally fucked-up "internet".
    59.11 550 It's not surprizing that a country split in two like Korea would have a totally fucked-up "internet".
    59.12 550 It's not surprizing that a country split in two like Korea would have a totally fucked-up "internet".
    59.13 550 It's not surprizing that a country split in two like Korea would have a totally fucked-up "internet".
    59.14 550 It's not surprizing that a country split in two like Korea would have a totally fucked-up "internet".
    59.15 550 It's not surprizing that a country split in two like Korea would have a totally fucked-up "internet".
    59.16 550 It's not surprizing that a country split in two like Korea would have a totally fucked-up "internet".
    59.17 550 It's not surprizing that a country split in two like Korea would have a totally fucked-up "internet".
    59.18 550 It's not surprizing that a country split in two like Korea would have a totally fucked-up "internet".
    59.19 550 It's not surprizing that a country split in two like Korea would have a totally fucked-up "internet".
    59.2 550 It's not surprizing that a country split in two like Korea would have a totally fucked-up "internet".
    59.20 550 It's not surprizing that a country split in two like Korea would have a totally fucked-up "internet".
    59.21 550 It's not surprizing that a country split in two like Korea would have a totally fucked-up "internet".
    59.22 550 It's not surprizing that a country split in two like Korea would have a totally fucked-up "internet".
    59.23 550 It's not surprizing that a country split in two like Korea would have a totally fucked-up "internet".
    59.24 550 It's not surprizing that a country split in two like Korea would have a totally fucked-up "internet".
    59.25 550 It's not surprizing that a country split in two like Korea would have a totally fucked-up "internet".
    59.26 550 It's not surprizing that a country split in two like Korea would have a totally fucked-up "internet".
    59.27 550 It's not surprizing that a country split in two like Korea would have a totally fucked-up "internet".
    59.28 550 It's not surprizing that a country split in two like Korea would have a totally fucked-up "internet".
    59.29 550 It's not surprizing that a country split in two like Korea would have a totally fucked-up "internet".
    59.3 550 It's not surprizing that a country split in two like Korea would have a totally fucked-up "internet".
    59.30 5

  7. P.S. by That's+Unpossible! · · Score: 2, Funny

    "A much better way to cut down on spam is to use $technology_I_created."

    --
    Ironically, the word ironically is often used incorrectly.
  8. Re:A few comments by sjames · · Score: 2, Funny

    For any serious stuff, don't accept an IP address which was blacklisted in the past few years (is there a service which checks this?) or is close to current blacklist entries, unless you're really really well known.

    That would be hard to check (by the ISP as well), and is increasingly rare. It'll have to be outside of 0.0.0.0/0