I'll jump in here. Thus far RBL's have been run by individuals. Seems some had axes to grind, others refused to consider that their understanding of the RFCs was wrong and others were just plain incompetent or lazy. An acquaintance of mine had a dispute with one such list and wound up having to write the author of the current RFC on SMTP mail (since Mr. Postel is long since deceased) to get the guy to listen to reason.
In theory, they are a good idea. In practice they can, and have, caused more problems then they are worth. So, here's a real-world example for you: DomainA has inadvertently left it's SMTP mail server wide open for relay. A hacker finds and exploits them. A RBL list is alerted and DomainA is blacklisted. DomainB frequently does business, as a buyer, with DomainA. DomainB subscribes to the aforementioned RBL. DomainB sends a message to his sales rep at DomainA who duly and promply replies. The reply never gets there because of the RBL. The sales rep forwards the NDR to his admin. Said admin contacts the RBL admin. He learns what happens and closes the relay. <branch> What Should Happen: Said admin contacts RBL admin. RBL admin tests and sees problem is fixed. DomainA removed from RBL What HAS Happened too often in the past: Said admin contacts RBL admin. Gets ignored. Or RBL admin's test is flawed. Or maybe he just doesn't care. Or maybe he wants money (extortion). Net result of the second scenario: purchase order goes to another company and DomainA is screwed. ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Gibbons" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Exchange Discussions" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, November 04, 2002 5:51 PM Subject: RE: RBL's > Mr. Scharff, > > I understand that you're currently a bit jaded with this topic (or you > could be enjoying yourself not sure... The email intonation module on my > pc is broken *grin*). But, would you mind taking a moment to explain or > send links to previous explanations as to why RBL is not a good idea? > With the research that I have conducted I cannot find any serious issues > with it. Of course I'm missing quite a lot of first hand knowledge with > this technology since I have yet to incorporate within my test > environment. > > I fear that I might be apart of that 32% your talking about and wish to... > um... well... *shrug* not be. > > > Thanks for the input! > David > > > Perhaps you should read your e-mails before you send them. Just cause > > you wrote something down and it sounds one way in your head doesn't > > meant that it will sound the same way on the other end. > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > [mailto:bounce-exchange-97309@;ls.swynk.com] On Behalf Of Chris Scharff > > Sent: Monday, November 04, 2002 1:02 PM > > To: Exchange Discussions > > Subject: RE: RBL's > > > > > > I guess the #include humor.h module wasn't loaded for you this morning. > > I'd suggest that the spelling remark was only rude to a subset of the > > 32% of admins who actually could spell RBL and thus understood the barb. > > As a journalism major, with an English minor I am quite concerned about > > any grammatical errors I might have made in the comment you are > > referring to. Would you please be so kind as to point out my grammar > > errors so that I might endeavor to eliminate them from my future > > postings? > > > > Now, as to your point that my statement that of the 32% of mail > > administrators who can spell RBL many are unable to comprehend the > > implications of it: I've made more than 8,000 replies in various public > > forums in the last 12 months. I've read over 50,000 threads during that > > same period. It's been a relatively slow year for me, but even if we > > take those low water numbers back 4 years it's still a fairly > > substantial number of administrators and posts that I've encountered. > > Based on that vast experience with and exposure to mail administrators > > around the world, I find it highly likely that 16% or more of mail > > administrators don't understand fully the implications of the RBL > > technology they are using and or advocating. > > > > It has nothing to do with being smart or dumb. It has to do with being > > knowledgeable about a particular issue or technology. My comments were > > not directed at any particular individual user on this list and were > > more accurately a diatribe against the technology than those who choose > > to implement it. I'm sorry you chose to misinterpret my comments. > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Walsh, Ric [mailto:Walshr@;national-citymortgage.com] > > > Sent: Monday, November 04, 2002 1:52 PM > > > To: Exchange Discussions > > > > > > Ok your "spelling" remark was rude to all of us. > > > > > > You following remark despite it's poor grammar seems to say that the > > > rest of us are dumber that you. I'd have to say that it was ALL rude. > > > > > > Ric Walsh > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > From: Walsh, Ric > > > > Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2002 10:32 AM > > > > To: Exchange Discussions > > > > Subject: RE: RBL's > > > > > > > > Ok what makes you such a wizard? Also add the word rude to that. > > > > Have > > > you > > > > though of taking an anger management class? > > > > > > > > Ric Walsh > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > > From: Chris Scharff [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > > > > Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2002 5:22 PM > > > > > To: Exchange Discussions > > > > > Subject: RE: RBL's > > > > > > > > > > I'd guess 68% or more of mail admins are unable to even spell RBL. > > > > > > > The majority of the remainder is unable to comprehend the > > > > > implications of > > > > the > > > > > functionality on their environment, whether they understand how it > > > > > > > actually works or not. > > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > > > From: William Lefkovics [mailto:william@;techsanctuary.org] > > > > > > Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2002 4:16 PM > > > > > > To: Exchange Discussions > > > > > > Subject: RE: RBL's > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > That's a little harsh. (I love it when you're harsh...) > > > > > > > > > > > > Do you mean they are not aware of it, or they are unable to > > > > > > comprehend its functionality? > > > > > > > > > > > > William > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > [mailto:bounce-exchange-104116@;ls.swynk.com] On Behalf Of Chris > > > > > > Scharff > > > > > > Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2002 1:49 PM > > > > > > To: Exchange Discussions > > > > > > Subject: RE: RBL's > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 97.25% of mail admins are too stupid to understand what an RBL > > > > > > actually is/does. I for one hope they continue to rely on 3rd > > > > > > parties to provide the functionality, otherwise I'll likely have > > > > > > > > to join you in phoning stupid admins to tell them why RBL $foo > > > > > > is costing their company business. > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > Chris Scharff, MVP MCSE > > > > > > EMS Sales Engineer > > > > > > MessageOne > > > > > > 512.652.4500 x-244 > > > > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > > > > From: Darcy Adams [mailto:Darcy.Adams@;gettyimages.com] > > > > > > > Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2002 3:42 PM > > > > > > > To: Exchange Discussions > > > > > > > Subject: RE: RBL's > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Still 3rd party. I was at a meeting at MS on Monday night and > > > > > > > > > the current stance on that is that they're "thinking about > > > > > > > possibly" including RBL support in a future release. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Darcy > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > > > > From: Matt Natkin [mailto:mnatkin@;natco-inc.com] > > > > > > > Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2002 1:50 PM > > > > > > > To: Exchange Discussions > > > > > > > Subject: RBL's > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hey does exchange 2k have a rbl feature or is this 3rd party? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > > > > > List posting FAQ: > > http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq.htm > > > > > > Archives: > > http://www.swynk.com/sitesearch/search.asp > > > > > > To unsubscribe: mailto:leave-exchange@;ls.swynk.com > > > > > > Exchange List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > > > > > List posting FAQ: > > http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq.htm > > > > > > Archives: > > http://www.swynk.com/sitesearch/search.asp > > > > > > To unsubscribe: mailto:leave-exchange@;ls.swynk.com > > > > > > Exchange List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > > > > List posting FAQ: http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq.htm > > > > > Archives: http://www.swynk.com/sitesearch/search.asp > > > > > To unsubscribe: mailto:leave-exchange@;ls.swynk.com > > > > > Exchange List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > > > List posting FAQ: http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq.htm > > > > Archives: http://www.swynk.com/sitesearch/search.asp > > > > To unsubscribe: mailto:leave-exchange@;ls.swynk.com > > > > Exchange List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > > List posting FAQ: http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq.htm > > > Archives: http://www.swynk.com/sitesearch/search.asp > > > To unsubscribe: mailto:leave-exchange@;ls.swynk.com > > > Exchange List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > List posting FAQ: http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq.htm > > Archives: http://www.swynk.com/sitesearch/search.asp > > To unsubscribe: mailto:leave-exchange@;ls.swynk.com > > Exchange List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > _________________________________________________________________ > List posting FAQ: http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq.htm > Archives: http://www.swynk.com/sitesearch/search.asp > To unsubscribe: mailto:leave-exchange@;ls.swynk.com > Exchange List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > _________________________________________________________________ List posting FAQ: http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq.htm Archives: http://www.swynk.com/sitesearch/search.asp To unsubscribe: mailto:leave-exchange@;ls.swynk.com Exchange List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
