Great post... I have two questions...
-------------------
As far as spam is concerned, we get one or two a week and delete their
accounts on notification. Not too much they can do to harm you if you limit
outgoing messages. This all assumes you want to supply SMTP and POP3
service. If strictly Web mail, a lot of these problems go away but, so do
the customers.
-------------------
If you are supplying a free email service, why would you provide anything other
than Web mail? If not from the banners / links / etc... on the web interface,
where is your revenue derived? Do all of the users "opt in" to lists for
that type
of advertising revenue?
----------------------
>4. Limit outgoing messages per session. We allow 10. We do not supply
>mailing lists. If a user needs more than this, there are other services out
>there that don't care.
-----------------------
How do you impose this limit?
Thanks
Chris Ulrich
At 11:13 AM 1/9/2001, you wrote:
>Concerning free email services run on Imail:
>
>We operate a free Email service using Imail with around 50,000 global users.
>Have been for 2 years. I'll give you my thoughts on such a thing. Its a bit
>long but, it may help you make a decision:
>
>1. While not totally suited for the task, Imail has done well. The key is,
>of course, to keep the undesirables out. This will be your hardest task.
>First, your Imail server MUST be locked down with "Relay for Addresses" set,
>NO LDAP, no FINGER, no WHOIS, no IMAP, if you can get away with it. Force
>all users who want SMTP access to use SMTP AUTH.
>
>2. Hire a programmer or, make sure your skills with VBscript or Java are up
>to the task. We use an external database (SQL 7 server) for authentication
>with custom sign up scripts and customer utilities and maintenance routines.
>New signups are shown the usual warnings about spam etc and shown their IP
>address and informed that their IP and ISP information (trace routed) is
>being recorded. They are also required to enter a valid ISP email address.
>The sign up script sends a message to this address requesting confirmation
>of the account's creation and instructions on what to do if the recipient is
>someone other than the account creator. They are told before hand that if
>the message bounces or, the holder of the Email address objects, the account
>will be deleted immediately.
>
>Requiring this is about as far as you can go without getting more than the
>usual name, address, etc information. You COULD require credit card info
>but, this may not be legal in some areas unless you actually charge the
>customer something for service, and there is this strange connection between
>spammers and stolen or fake credit cards.... <G>
>
>3. Actively monitor your abuse and administrative mailboxes! Make SURE you
>have "abuse", "support", "hostmater", "webmaster" etc addresses and post
>your abuse address to all services that list same for your domains. This is
>the single most important thing you will do. When a spam complaint comes in,
>act on it and reply to the sender with what you have done.
>
>Our policy is to terminate accounts on the FIRST verified complaint. We sign
>up around 100 new users per day, loosing one or two to protect your system
>is perfectly acceptable.
>
>4. Limit outgoing messages per session. We allow 10. We do not supply
>mailing lists. If a user needs more than this, there are other services out
>there that don't care.
>
>5. Don't, I repeat DON'T, try to save money on the Imail box or the SQL
>server. When using an external database, speed is EVERYTHING! If your SQL
>server bogs down, SMTP AUTH will fail. Your SQL box should serve the Imail
>server only. Do not, under any circumstances, try to run Imail and SQL on
>the same box. Make sure you are using 100 mbs or better through a switch. No
>hubs, no 10 mbs cards.
>
>Of course, you could use Imail's internal database for this and not need
>SQL. We prefer to have the extra control over customer records SQL provides
>but, there are some fine utilities out there (the authors are on this list)
>that will allow you to add records to Imail's database from a script.
>
>6. Actively groom your server. We run scripts daily that report on customers
>who have reached 80% of their mailbox size. These send a warning to the
>customer and a report to us and if nothing is done, deleting the mailbox in
>question when it reaches 100%. Monitor your spool directory! Again we run
>daily scripts that delete files in spool if they are older than 4 days.
>Limit your send retries. We allow 3 retries before giving up, 15 minute
>queue timer. May be a problem sometimes with Yahoo mail and AOL but, that's
>life. Monitor your log files! Look for trouble before it finds you!
>
>As far as spam is concerned, we get one or two a week and delete their
>accounts on notification. Not too much they can do to harm you if you limit
>outgoing messages. This all assumes you want to supply SMTP and POP3
>service. If strictly Web mail, a lot of these problems go away but, so do
>the customers.
>
>In conclusion, it can be done but, you HAVE to take an active role in
>policing your service.
>
>Robert J. Fehn Sr. CEO
>GBM Technologies Ltd. / Mail Options / ProNet USA Inc
>Nation Wide Internet Access and Free Email / News
>http://www.pro-usa.net http://www.mailops.com
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "David Marcos" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Sent: Monday, January 08, 2001 11:28 PM
>Subject: RE: [IMail Forum] Hosting Request
>
>
> > !@#$ are you serious? Anyone have any experiences in this?
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of CHPL Support
> > Sent: Monday, January 08, 2001 11:17 PM
> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > Subject: RE: [IMail Forum] Hosting Request
> >
> >
> > I would never in a million years create a FREE mail site. There is NO WAY
> > to protect your server aside from creating a script that limits the number
> > of mails going through to 5 or 10 at a time ..... this is fairly easy in
> > UNIX sendmail... but I have enever seen it done on IMAIL.
> >
> > Once you turn a user on and assign them a user name and password ...you
>have
> > given them the keys to the SMTP server. And the fact that you have no
> > contact info or credit card info to fall back on for penalties will set
>you
> > up to be turned off by your upline provider as soon as you get started.
> >
> > Just my opinion.
> >
> > Lee
> >
> >
> >
> > Chapel Communications Support
> > ___________________________________
> > 888 747-4949
> > http://CHPL.net <http://CHPL.net>
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of David Marcos
> > Sent: Monday, January 08, 2001 10:09 PM
> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > Subject: RE: [IMail Forum] Hosting Request
> >
> >
> > I'd love to know this as well. What protection measures should be taken
>on
> > the IMail to protect it from spammers? There's another thread about "What
> > does this mean?" discussing some issues but is there more to consider?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Dm
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of CHPL Support
> > Sent: Monday, January 08, 2001 10:58 PM
> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > Subject: RE: [IMail Forum] Hosting Request
> >
> >
> > How are you going to protect yourself and your ISP from people who wish
>to
> > use your FREE service for spam.
> >
> > Lee
> >
> >
> >
> > Chapel Communications Support
> > ___________________________________
> > 888 747-4949
> > http://CHPL.net
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of NetQuick Mail
> > Administration
> > Sent: Monday, January 08, 2001 3:04 PM
> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > Subject: Re: [IMail Forum] Hosting Request
> >
> >
> > Please Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] with reference to this
> >
> > Kevin Childers
> > NetQuick Customer Support.
> > (910) 486-7845
> > (888) 228-0312
> >
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of
> > > [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > > Sent: Sunday, January 07, 2001 10:17 AM
> > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > > Subject: [IMail Forum] Hosting Request
> > >
> > >
> > > Hi
> > >
> > > I was about to do a deal with an iMail service provider in St. Louis to
> > move
> > > into a pre-commercial test of using the ReplyToMe.com domain as the
>basis
> > > for an initial freemail-based service. We agreed on a fee of $100 for a
> > > limit of 5000 signups, this would have obviously, given us something to
> > work
> > > with. However, the company was sold and we are at ground zero again.
> > >
> > > Is there anyone out there who could facilitate us on a similar basis?
> > >
> > > Thanks in Advance
> > >
> > > David Epstein
> > >
> > >
> > > Please visit http://www.ipswitch.com/support/mailing-lists.html
> > > to be removed from this list.
> > >
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> > >
> > >
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> > >
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> > >
> >
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