What's wrong with ORBs? Let me tell you a story.
Before we switched to Imail, we were running NTMail, and yes, some of our
domains were
listed. This is because the version of NTMail we were running couldn't
effectively
*not* relay, and to upgrade to a version that could? 8 grand.
So all of a sudden customers who don't dial up through us can't send mail
through their
mail servers; no warning, no explanation. We later found out that Earthlink
(their dialup
provider) was using ORBs to block port 25 on their routers. oops. This
costed us a few
customers before we figured it out. We looked all the wrong places, simply
because no one
bothered to tell us we were listed, and Earthlink was certainly no help.
Beyond what they've done to us directly, I have some fundamental rights
issues with them:
1. Who are they to tell me if I can relay or not? Of course, we don't, but
that isn't the point. There
are legitimate reasons to do it, and as the story above illustrated, that
can have a very real
effect on other parts of our business. In short, it has a chilling effect.
2. ORBs subscribers use the list in ways they may not have intended.
Earthlink uses it to block
all traffic from a "relay" site.
3. ORBs incorrectly listed one of our IPs as an open relay, when it was not.
Further, there was
no notice that the address was listed, and certainly no warning that "we
will list you if you
don't turn of relaying". At the very least, affected parties should be given
warning and an
opportunity to correct if they so chose, or tell them kiss off if they so
choose.
4. Now we have to proactively track if any of our blocks are listed so we
don't get blindsided again.
One more daily task we should not have to do.
I guess it just comes down to that I don't appreciate yet another entity
telling me what
I can and cannot do.
*rant ends*
Jon
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Scott Perry
Sent: Friday, February 09, 2001 7:13 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: RE: [IMail Forum] ORBS problems
>Orbs blows.
>ORBS are Net Nazis
Let me guess, you people are listed on ORBS? Just close your relay, and you
will get off.
FYI, as far as I know, ORBS was NOT designed as a system to DELETE or BLOCK
E-mail from open relays. It was designed to LET PEOPLE KNOW that open
relays exist. They are simply trying to stop open relays.
What is the problem with, for example, adding a header to an E-mail that
says "[This E-mail came from an open relay in ORBS]"? That way, the user
can decide what they want to do with the E-mail. And, the amount of spam
YOU receive will go down, because more people will close their relays,
giving spammers fewer places to spew.
The main reason people complain about ORBS so much is because they are
listed in it. If you are listed in it, you are inviting spammers to abuse
your mail server, and you need to fix it.
Remember, ORBS also has a number of different databases. I have *NEVER*
heard anyone complain about their "Spam Source" database, for example, that
ONLY lists known spam sources.
ORBS isn't bad; the people who abuse it (by deleting E-mail coming from IPs
listed in ORBS) are. Just use ORBS in a way that lets the END USER decide
how to handle the E-mail.
--
-Scott
Declude: Anti-virus and Anti-spam solutions for IMail.
http://www.declude.com
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