On Tuesday I was informed by my web hosting service that they had multiple spam complaints from AOL for one of my mail lists. The emails in question did originate from my mail list. The web host or owner of a mail server is not provided with identification of the individual reporting spam, and is not permitted to determine whether or not the offending message is spam. The web hosting service told me that virtually the only solution was to remove all AOL users from any mail list, list server or forum I maintain. Otherwise my email privileges would be suspended, my hosting account might be cancelled, and they feared being blacklisted by AOL which is proliferated to other ISPs.
My investigation of only a few days reflects that this is a huge problem for legitimate users of bulk email. While AOL is having success finding and prosecuting some spammers, in proportion they are creating a huge problem for organizations and businesses attempting to maintain legitimate communication with their members and customers. Spammers can move easily and (often) illegitimately use another mail server. I can't, and you can't, move as easily. Spammers can ignore AOL spam reports, but you and I can't.
Just a few things I learned:
1) A major airline which has its own web services is having the same problem with their own legitimate bulk email to their customers, and employing the same solution, not accpeting AOL email addressess from subscribers. One of their representatives who is a personal friend tells me they are also on the verge of purging AOL email accounts from their subscription lists.
2) I am retired. The IT company for which I used to work is ignoring AOL spam complaints as their mail servers will not be effectively blacklisted. Neither I nor my web host has that luxury.
3) AOL is completely non-responsive to the problem except to tell you about their bulk email policies and their "whitelisiting." However if one of their users reports your messages as spam, they are treated as spam regardless of compliance.
4) Read AOL's bulk email policies. You may find that, by their definition, messages from your mail lists ARE spam. Even if they are not, if an AOL user reports them as spam, they are treated as spam by everyone including your provider with no recourse. http://www.aol.com/info/bulkemail.adp
AOL users may simply push a button on their mail window to report spam, either in the PC program or the web interface, an action which requires no confirmation and is not retractable, and the reported email is automatically processed. It is not the spam filters which are creating the problem. Many organizations and companies are asking their members or customers for alternate email addresses.
By telling my users that I cannot support AOL email addresses I have started a rebellion. I have no solution except to find alternative means of communicating with them. Moving web hosts will not work as the problem will re-occur.
I am trying to give other subscribers to this list who have not yet encountered the AOL problem a "heads up." AOL is not going to respond until they hear from their own customers who are unable to subscribe to information resources they need. You can also write to AOL management if you encounter the problem of AOL spam reports:
Jonathan Miller, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Ted Leonsis, Vice Chairman, America Online, Inc. and President, AOL Core Service
John McKinley, Chief Technology Officer & President, AOL Technologies
American Online Inc.
22000 AOL Way
Dulles VA 20166
------------------------------------------------------ Mailman-Users mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/mailman-users Mailman FAQ: http://www.python.org/cgi-bin/faqw-mm.py Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/mailman-users%40python.org/
