Tim: >>> The SPAM situation has gotten to the point that I'm gonna start doing >>> permissive filtering -- mail from anyone not specifically allowed gets >>> auto-dumped. The idea is to get a list of everyone who has mailed me >>> in 2006 and decide who of those on that list I'd like to hear from in >>> 2007 and beyond. Tim: >> Reminds me of those people I know that tell me, "I have a telephone, but >> I never answer it," though they expect anyone that they call to answer >> theirs. >> >> It's a seriously flawed approach. How does someone new contact you? Or >> someone who's had to change addresses. They can't, they can't even >> arrange to contact you. Robert: > Surely, Tim, you must realize that your 2nd paragraph describes EXACTLY > what I want. Think "--state ESTABLISHED" and you can get a really clear > picture of what I'll have in place when the ball falls at Times Square. Right... So when your best childhood friend that you lost contact with, but would like to hear from again, who's never e-mailed you before, finds out *how* to get in touch with you, but can't get in touch with you because of a really silly idea about not allowing any new e-mail addresses to contact you... That's just one example. A long stretch, I know. But it's that kind of thing (new internet contacts, but not new personal contacts, not being able to reach you). The most likely problem is going to be that someone changes their e-mail address, and next week they can't reach you, because of it, and they'll never reach you again because of your policy. You really have NOT THOUGHT about the total ramifications of what you intende doing. If you really don't want people to be able to contact you, and I know some people like that (someone with some sort of disorder), there's an easy answer: Don't use the internet.
