The latest phase in stopping freedom of speech

[Veronica]

A couple of things have happened to me lately (in the last few weeks).

I’m not writing this for sympathy.

I’m writing it as a warning.

It concerns the latest ‘trends’ in e-mail handling. And it could affect you. Given time.

In my case I have enough e-mail address ‘capabilities’ to overcome/overcome/bypass get around the problems but – if you have a simple Dial-up or Broadband connection you may not be so lucky.

‘Spam Blocking Recommendation’ Websites are now proliferating. One of the main ones is called Spamhaus … and their offices are in “The City of London” (need I say more?).

What these ‘organisations’ do it ‘collect’ e-mail addresses of so-called ‘spammers’, and create a database of their ‘findings’.

ISPs are now attaching software to their Mail Servers such that … as an e-mail FOR YOU is received on to your SERVER, a ‘blocking’ will occur if the Sender is on the so-called ‘blacklist’.

YOU WILL NOT SEE THE E-MAIL. YOU WILL NOT KNOW THIS HAS HAPPENED.

The Sender will receive a ‘bounce-back’ informing he or she that the e-mail was blocked.

If the Sender has some other means of sending to you, they may send you a copy of the ‘bounce-back’.

THAT IS THE ONLY WAY YOU WOULD KNOW.

If you complain about this to your ISP, they will reply to you in the most patronising manner possible, telling you they are ‘protecting you for your own good’.

The site that provides the Database does not take any responsibility for the actual bouncing operation. They keep ‘clean hands’ thataway.

Your ISP – which does the actual bouncing – will hold their hands up and say ‘we are simply doing what has been recommended to us’. They keep THEIR hands clean thataway.

You will be bounced between the two if you complain.

If you point out the OBVIOUS … that your correspondent has the right to send you information, they will say ‘He must be trying to send you a virus, etc’.
If you point out that he can send e-mails via a different route, and no virus is received, they will offer a patronising ‘it’s not our problem’-type reply.

If you request EVIDENCE that your contact is an ‘Internet abuser’, they will similarly bounce you one between the other or replying “We now realise we should not have responded to you in the first place”, etc.

If you point out that while, on the one hand, you receive 4-5 e-mails of REAL SPAM per day, but a friend’s e-mails are blocked … and “What a great system THAT is” you will similarly get a response of the form “We now realise we should not have responded to you in the first place”, etc.

Me? I’m also blocked by the US ‘giant’ Comcast … via my ‘regular’ e-mail address. But I still have other e-mail facilities that work (e.g. via the No-Planers Home Website, www.911Closeup.com), so I can keep in contact with colleagues.

You may think this does not apply to you. However I now have at least TWO contacts whose e-mail addresses are in this mechanism … as well as my own … and once in … it is virtually impossible to get out.

It goes around the Internet, and pretty soon a person is cut off from contact with ANYONE … for example anyone who can help them.

If it happens to you, then you will know that ‘it ain’t funny’.

We all have ‘Spam Blockers’ and we all have ‘Delete Buttons’, and so there is no legitimacy for this Big Brother attitude.

You would be advised to think about this, remembering that every e-mail you send is scanned and tested against ‘keywords’. That is almost certainly how my e-mail address got into the morass.

(Well, I certainly hope that’s the case … otherwise I’m not doing things right! You know you are right when you get shut down, or howled down. The best ‘test’ there is)

UNDER THE GUISE OF STOPPING ABUSE, THESE WEBSITES ARE ACTUALLY THE ABUSERS. (But then, it's an Orwellian World, now)

Good luck, anyway.

This is ‘coming your way soon’, I have no doubt. You’ve been warned.

[conspiracy analyst]

are signing up to US spam companies and are therefore now bound by the US Patriot Act, without informing either the students, the lecturers or the other users of its library facilities.

[Briaman]

... {spamblocking and blacklisting are} the latest ‘trends’ in e-mail handling.

If by latest you mean common for the last five years, then you are entirely correct.

In my case I have enough e-mail address ‘capabilities’ to overcome/overcome/bypass get around the problems

I'm glad that you have an alternate email address.

... One of the main [anti-spam blacklisters] is called Spamhaus … and their offices are in “The City of London” (need I say more?).

Spamhaus is an international organisation operating out of the UK. But that aside - I live and work in London. Is there a problem with that?

What these ‘organisations’ do it ‘collect’ e-mail addresses of so-called ‘spammers’, and create a database of their ‘findings’.

Actually Spamhaus are more interested in domain names and IP addresses than they are in email addresses. Any idiot can forge a mail header but its a lot harder to spoof the IP address (assuming the ISPs techs are doing their jobs properly). The FAQ gives more info.

ISPs are now attaching software to their Mail Servers such that … as an e-mail FOR YOU is received on to your SERVER, a ‘blocking’ will occur if the Sender is on the so-called ‘blacklist’.

YOU WILL NOT SEE THE E-MAIL. YOU WILL NOT KNOW THIS HAS HAPPENED.

The Sender will receive a ‘bounce-back’ informing he or she that the e-mail was blocked.

If the Sender has some other means of sending to you, they may send you a copy of the ‘bounce-back’.

THAT IS THE ONLY WAY YOU WOULD KNOW.

Your ISP may only just have implemented this but many organisations have been using this technology for years. And to clarify the process - when an email is received, the header information is inspected to see if the email comes from one of the listed IP addresses. If it does - then it is classified as spam and rejected and a Non-Delivery-Response (NDR) is passed back to the sender. The ISP does not pass the message on because to do so would be a waste of bandwidth - theirs and yours.

The NDR will explain to the sender why the message has been rejected and give directions to help the sender to get themselves delisted.

If you complain about this to your ISP, they will reply to you in the most patronising manner possible, telling you they are ‘protecting you for your own good’.

If you believe the response you received from your ISP was inappropriate - write a letter of complaint.

The site that provides the Database does not take any responsibility for the actual bouncing operation. They keep ‘clean hands’ thataway.

Your ISP – which does the actual bouncing – will hold their hands up and say ‘we are simply doing what has been recommended to us’. They keep THEIR hands clean thataway.

You will be bounced between the two if you complain.

You are not (yet) a prisoner of your ISP. Exercise your right to take your business elsewhere if you don't like the service you're getting.

If you point out the OBVIOUS … that your correspondent has the right to send you information, they will say ‘He must be trying to send you a virus, etc’.

We can't, on one hand, complain that we are receiving unwanted messages and then on the other complain when something that looks like an unwanted message is blocked. Your correspondent is using an unsecured mail system. If it's his - he should secure it. If it's his ISPs he should dump his ISP.

If you point out that he can send e-mails via a different route, and no virus is received, they will offer a patronising ‘it’s not our problem’-type reply.

IMHO - They're right.

If you request EVIDENCE that your contact is an ‘Internet abuser’, they will similarly bounce you one between the other or replying “We now realise we should not have responded to you in the first place”, etc.

I'm doubt they said that. But I'm sure they thought it.

If you point out that while, on the one hand, you receive 4-5 e-mails of REAL SPAM per day, but a friend’s e-mails are blocked … and “What a great system THAT is” you will similarly get a response of the form “We now realise we should not have responded to you in the first place”, etc.

The systems not perfect. But it's getting better.

Me? I’m also blocked by the US ‘giant’ Comcast … via my ‘regular’ e-mail address. But I still have other e-mail facilities that work (e.g. via the No-Planers Home Website, www.911Closeup.com), so I can keep in contact with colleagues.

Yes - you already said you have more that one email address.

You may think this does not apply to you. However I now have at least TWO contacts whose e-mail addresses are in this mechanism … as well as my own … and once in … it is virtually impossible to get out.

It goes around the Internet, and pretty soon a person is cut off from contact with ANYONE … for example anyone who can help them.

No - it's actually very easy to get out. Read the FAQ!

If it happens to you, then you will know that ‘it ain’t funny’.

We all have ‘Spam Blockers’ and we all have ‘Delete Buttons’, and so there is no legitimacy for this Big Brother attitude.

You would be advised to think about this, remembering that every e-mail you send is scanned and tested against ‘keywords’. That is almost certainly how my e-mail address got into the morass.

Actually I would guess that you have been blacklisted either because you sent an email to a honey-trap email address (an email address that is never used to send mail - only to detect spammers) or because your email server has been implicated in spam. The NDR should clarify this.

(Well, I certainly hope that’s the case … otherwise I’m not doing things right! You know you are right when you get shut down, or howled down. The best ‘test’ there is)

People do not only get shouted down when they are right.

UNDER THE GUISE OF STOPPING ABUSE, THESE WEBSITES ARE ACTUALLY THE ABUSERS. (But then, it's an Orwellian World, now)

IMHO - they are not the abusers.

Good luck, anyway.
This is ‘coming your way soon’, I have no doubt. You’ve been warned.

Thank you for the warning.