Sluggers,
Whilst I know that this subject has been vocally debated in the past I think it
is time to re-visit the issue of how the slug mailing list works.
In spite of the use of tools like spam assassin at the back-end, the list is
seeing a continuous increase in the amount of spam. Since subscribing to Slug
I'm also seeing a lot more spam directly to the e-mail address that is subscribed.
The issues which I think should be (re)debated are;
1. Should slug be a subscribers only list?
How many people send mail to slug but aren't subscribed. Is this really
something that *has* to be supported?
2. The originators e-mail should not be in the header of the message.
Harvesting e-mail addresses from slug is very simple. Just subscribe to the
list, never post and watch the e-mail addresses flow in. Every person who posts
to slug has their e-mail address publicly exposed.
To avoid this the e-mail from the list shouldn't reveal the original posters
address. This would mean of course that replying to an e-mail would have to be a
reply to the list. In my view though if you reply to a public post you should
and are replying in public. Protecting those that tend to fly off the handle
with rude remarks be damned. If the poster wishes to be contacted "off-list"
then they can discretely include their e-mail address in the message body. If
the poster becomes rude then the list-moderator can block them from posting.
I realise that some will defend the current arrangement with something
approaching religious vigor but can we have a reasoned calm discussion about
what is so wrong with a mailing list that;
a) requires you to be subscribed,
b) "reply-to" always goes back to the whole list.
A few years ago I was subscribed via another e-mail address to a sporting list.
One day the list was "discovered" by spammers and the list was inundated.
Un-subscribing from the list barely reduced the flow and that e-mail address
became unusable.
I fear that the day is not very far off when slug will suffer the same fate.
I realise that some supposed advantages of the current arrangment may be lost,
but the state of spam is such that unless slug takes some more positive steps to
prevent it, the list is at risk.
Furthermore it's my belief that before too long internet e-mail will become a
white-list environment. I've already seen examples of this whereby e-mail
servers will only accept mail from known from-address/ip combinations. Such a
white list would be happy with slug@slug.org.au:202.177.212.193 for example but
wouldn't accept e-mail from the current floating population of e-mail addresses
that constitute slug mails.
Stay cool, and please a rational debate, lets not get emotive huh?
Pete
--
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