[clug] Mysterious delivery problems

[Martin Pool]

On 21 May 2003, David Gibson <david at gibson.dropbear.id.au> wrote:
> Actually, I don't think it's just that.
> 
> Laziness is part of it, but I think the whole vigilante cowboy power
> trip thing has at least as much to do with it, causing genuinely and
> gratuitously assholeish behaviour.

David's sig is particularly apropos:

    For every complex problem there is a
    solution which is simple, neat and
    wrong.

Blocking ISPs and laughing at complaints is a simple and neat solution
to spam, and I think many nanae regulars and blacklist maintainers
are seduced by its elegance, as well as the feeling of power.  

If one is convinced that blocking spam is more important than allowing
real mail through then I suppose it really is optimal.  The problem is
that many subscribers to the lists are using them under the impression
that the lists are meant to only block spam.

What's the distinction between "blacklist" and "RBL" anyhow?  I
thought it was "realtime black list", and realtime just referred to
the fact that queries were made over DNS for every mail.

-- 
Martin 

linux.conf.au 2004: Adelaide, Australia         http://lca2004.linux.org.au/