doomicon's Journal: Email Black Lists

I've come to the conclusion that most email blacklists are NOT concerned with Spam. I am currently under the impression that most (not all) blacklists are run by geeks that got picked on waaaaaay too much, and now use they're sites to belittle and talk down to those unfortunate enough to land on one of these lists.

Case in point. I just started working for a GREAT Colo facility. We have a client using exchange (read previous journal entry), who landed on some blacklists. I don't dwell on "the how or why", I am paid to solve problems, not tread on past mistakes and misconfigurations. I solved the problem by implementing a correct Postfix mailexchanger. The exchange server is now regulated to stuff that it can handle. Hell it no longer has an "MX" entry in DNS.

Now to the blacklist removal. Now here is the fun part. Reading thru FAQs stating "not our problem", "don't ask us", "you figure it out". They don't want to help administrators. They live off spam, they love it. It gives them their little forum to berate those unfortunate enuff to be on one of these lists.

One of my personal favorites has a removal process like so....
enter ip address => select user to receive removal confirmation => sorry can't contac the mail server... OF COURSE YOU CAN'T!! IT'S FSCK'ING LOCKED DOWN!!! and they readily admit that they do not verify that the relay is even closed or not. Why, cause they don't care. How do I know this? They say they dont' "Don't bother us, Don't ask us" .. now some may say, "Hey, they ain't got time!" I agree they don't have time to answer a flood of "Help me" emails, BUT how much time does it take to provide ONE ... JUST ONE URL that points to a site that will assist in configuration.

If you go to most Blacklist sites, you will see many rants on "how we're getting sued", or fighting the good fight.. bla bla bla... And that's true, they fight a good fight. It just seems that they don't want any allies in that fight.

Now, time to open this relay, so I can receive this "Confirmation" email...

peaCe