In the thread: Complaint about change in spam.... I saw some comments
about using only your ISP's smtp server for email. I don't, partly for
the same reasons I chose Linux in the first place... freedom of choice,
and partly because it does what I need to do (and spamming isn't one of
them!)
I have several email accounts with different ISP's. One at work, one
broadband, one dialup (for when broadband has problems or I'm not at
home and want to get online) and several through my IHP. I read and
answer mail from all of them from home and need to respond from home.
None will relay (and I agree with that, by the way). By running my own
MTA, I can respond as the personallity I need to use for that
particular email. The From header shows up in the recipients mail as I
want it to (and in the case of some mail-list as it must!). Settng the
Reply To header isn't an option in many cases. Sure... people can read
the headers and find out where it's coming from, but that's ok. Most
people just use short headers anyway. The main thing is that they see
only the email address I want them to see.
In the case of mailing-lists, I subscribe to some through my work ISP.
They only allow posting using that email address. Running my MTA at
home, I can read and respond from home or work.
<rant>
As far as ISP's are concerned, I don't want anyone... no one... not
another person or machine censoring my mail and deciding what I will
receive or what will be blocked 'for my own good'. The address I use
for this list is a dailup that I've had for years. They recently
installed emScan to 'help me control spam'. At least this program just
traps the mail and lets me go online to see it before they delete it.
(So what have they accomplished if I still have to look at it to decide
if I want it delivered or not?) I checked it tonight and found about a
dozen emails from this list. Most from Ed.Greshko at greshko.com but
some others as well. I even found some from my 70+ year old mother!
She wouldn't know an MTA if it sat down beside her. She has one
account and sends everything through her ISP. I turned that censorship
program off!
If an ISP wants to intercept port 25 so I can't run a normal MTA,
fine... I'll find another provider (I had one that did that). The
broadband provider I have now was actually glad I used my own MTA...
less for his server to handle. If they want to block and filter mail,
fine, but they ought to say up front in big bold print:
--- WE CENSOR MAIL ---
It is up to the individual to take the time to learn (and be responsible
enough to handle) all the mail sent their way. It's not up to the
provider. If you are a provider and the amount of spam coming in is
slowing down your mail system or clogging your pipes... beef up your
system. If you have to charge more, do it, but leave_my_mail_alone!
</rant>
Doug
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