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SpamCop Discussion > Discussions & Observations > How to use .... Instructions, Tutorials > SpamCop Reporting
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Wazoo
Some folks have been raising an issue about e-mail submittals not working ... some intermittently, some not at all. It turns out that some ISPs are using an interesting (?) form of the BrightMail filters, scanning the outgoing e-mail from their servers and silently deleting anything that looks like spam ... which of course, most spam submittals to SpamCop would seem to naturally fall into this bucket.

Workarounds include the use of webmail for some of these ISPs, for some reason this seems to bypass the outgoing spam check. The use of IMAP with a SpamCop e-mail account, which then allows the drag-and-drop mode to "move" the e-mail between the ISP and the SpamCop server, then report from the SpamCop account.

ISPs noted thus far for this "neat" feature;

adelphia.net
aplus.net
Apple Mobileme
Bell Sympatico
BellSouth
Charter
ComCast
Cox (see comments at end)
Hostgator
Hughes.net
Juno
nuvox.net
RoadRunner (see Note 2)
Valueweb.net
Videotron.ca
iinet.net.au (ref post 76)

Unfortunately, some other ISP filtering options have come to light which are causing major issues with e-mail spam submittals ... the typical Outlook Express guidance to "forward as attachment" mode results in an e-mail with the attached file(s) with an .eml extension. Due to some viral traffic in the past, there is some filtering software out there that is being placed on the outgoing e-mail servers that makes the decision that certain file extensions are "likely virus traffic" ... some ISPs then configure the system to delete that outgoing e-mail, others allow this filter to do strange stuff, like deleting the attachment, adding in a "viral infection" notification to that e-mail .... result is that if the e-mail does make it out into the world, it is useless as a SpamCop submittal, as the format/content has been totally screwed. This list is going to be harder to develop, as most of these folks don't tell their customers what's actually happening.

Troubleshooting/testing: Try to send another e-mail submittal, but this time include an off-ISP account as a CC: (copy to yourself at Yahoo, HotMail, etc.) ... If that copy arrives, then one can rule out the ISP outbound filtering/deleting being at the root cause, and move on to other issues to try to resolve.

May 8, 2007: A Cox user told me this...
"forwarding to Spamcop for reporting is no longer allowed as of 05/03/07. Talking with a Cox representative, they feel this is simply a duplication of their already superior services! I may report suspected errors in their spam filtering to help enhance their system, but from now on things will be done their way only."
May 23, 2007: I got the spam to go through to spamcop by also including Cox's spam report address SpamReport[at]cox.net along with with my submit.xxxxxxxx[at]spamcop.net address. Neat huh?

From the article on Cox's support site: "If this is an email you think is spam, send it to SpamReport[at]cox.net. If you believe this email is not spam (false-positive), send it to ThisIsNotSpam[at]cox.net. If you believe this email has a virus, send it to VirusReport[at]cox.net."
Edited by Miss Betsy

Note 2: Added 14 Mar 2008 by Wazoo
Per commentary seen at http://forum.spamcop.net/forums/index.php?...ost&p=63182 .....
CODE
The RoadRunner postmaster advises me that he has punched a hole in their outbound filters that will allow spam submissions to be delivered when they're addressed to our "submit" and "quick" addresses.

- Don D'Minion - SpamCop Admin -
dra007
Noted that those ISPs are also on top of spamming list. Thus those filters may not be totally unintended as far as spam reporting goes.
loafman
QUOTE(dra007 @ Oct 5 2004, 03:30 PM)
Noted that those ISPs are also on top of spamming list. Thus those filters may not be totally unintended as far as spam reporting goes.

So, does that mean they don't want to send out spam, and are blocking SC reports as a side affect? Or they do want to send out spam and block SC reports to help their other customers, and call it spam filtering when someone complains?

I guess it would depend on hat color.

...Ken
Wazoo
Those ISPs (or techs in the mix) have stated that this is for the purposes of stopping spam from their system. Overlooked is that these days, the compromised machines are using their own SMTP engines, therefor not going through the ISP's provided e-mail servers with all this filtering applied. And again, even this data is provided by the few that either know or are allowed to talk about it ... as it turns out, most users don't know that this is going on at all.

You say hat color, but you also have to include some cluelessness.
dra007
Sounds too silly, I have a hard time believing those techies would not be aware of the technical issues... Even if you buy that they want to prevent spammers within their network, they must be aware the only thing they will ever block is outgoing reports (and not real spam) for reasons Wazoo just mentioned. Smells fishy...
StevenUnderwood
My question is why is it stopping the stuff on the way out when it seems to have slipped by on the way in???
dra007
QUOTE(StevenUnderwood @ Oct 5 2004, 07:01 PM)
My question is why is it stopping the stuff on the way out when it seems to have slipped by on the way in???
*


Good question. Now I am having trouble delivering the spam from the postini spam/virus folder to the inbox, even when I approuve the delivery. Frustrating that I cannot report that spam, most of it I get there anyways. I could do it manually from the postini webmail, but it blocks the spamadvertized links.

PS. Dam postini set up to deliver 1 approved spam e-mail every 10 minutes or longer, used to be immediate. Like this it will take me forever just to take the stuff to my held folder.
Wazoo
QUOTE(StevenUnderwood @ Oct 5 2004, 07:01 PM)
My question is why is it stopping the stuff on the way out when it seems to have slipped by on the way in???

Absolutely no clue ... it was just coming up so often of late, I figured it was time for an entry into the FAQ, so it's at least addressed as a possibility of the "failed e-mail" situation.
loafman
QUOTE(Wazoo @ Oct 5 2004, 05:27 PM)
Those ISPs (or techs in the mix) have stated that this is for the purposes of stopping spam from their system.  Overlooked is that these days, the compromised machines are using their own SMTP engines, therefor not going through the ISP's provided e-mail servers with all this filtering applied.  And again, even this data is provided by the few that either know or are allowed to talk about it ... as it turns out, most users don't know that this is going on at all.

You say hat color, but you also have to include some cluelessness.
*


Perhaps we need a hat color for the clueless, let's say light orange for the ones that should know better, but miss something, and burnt orange for the folks that do things like put an Exchange server directly on the net without configuring first. wink.gif
moonbroth
QUOTE(loafman @ Oct 6 2004, 07:47 AM)
Perhaps we need a hat color for the clueless, let's say light orange for the ones that should know better, but miss something, and burnt orange for the folks that do things like put an Exchange server directly on the net without configuring first. wink.gif
*

I think the term you're looking for is "Empty Hat".

Cheers, Nick
Wazoo
According to Don, Juno is now added to this list. As posted over in the newsgroups and here in another Forum;

QUOTE(SpamCopAdmin)
Juno has apparently recently started filtering against outgoing spam.

Juno users are reporting that they are no longer getting our responses to their email spam submissions. In all cases so far, the reason for that is because the spam is not getting here.

My testing reveals that our response will be accepted by Juno, but if the spam never gets here to start with, there can't be any response.

The accounts can still be used for manual processing, and for spam sent in from other sources.

- Don -
Fuhrmanator
Please add videotron.ca to the list of ISPs that nuke outgoing, spam-related emails (they insist they don't do this, but I've tried forwarding spams to my other private addresses to no avail).

Their brain-dead tech support droid stated that unless I can give them an NDR, they can't help me with the emails that don't get delivered. The left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.

QUOTE(Wazoo @ Oct 12 2004, 01:25 PM)
According to Don, Juno is now added to this list.  As posted over in the newsgroups and here in another Forum;
*

Wazoo
aplus.net added to the list, as per Yosemite's input found at http://forum.spamcop.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=4385
Wazoo
Based on discussions at http://forum.spamcop.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=4480 and http://news.spamcop.net/pipermail/spamcop-...read.html#65096 Title: [SC-Help] Irritating development ..
ComCast has been added to the list.
connyank
I see that Cox is named here - could someone be more specific on this?
I use cox...
1st- I'd be mighty pissed that my 60-90 reports are being vaporized w/o my knowledge.
2nd - I just sent a report and cc'd myself - cc was received.

So, is this a hit and miss thing?
Should I use a google acount for reporting?

Or is there something I'm missing (as usual)?

Thanks...
jg
StevenUnderwood
QUOTE(connyank @ Jul 7 2005, 09:42 PM)
I see that Cox is named here - could someone be more specific on this?
I use cox...
1st- I'd be mighty pissed that my 60-90 reports are being vaporized w/o my knowledge.
2nd - I just sent a report and cc'd myself - cc was received.

So, is this a hit and miss thing?
Should I use a google acount for reporting?

Or is there something I'm missing (as usual)?

Thanks...
jg
*


Since some of the ISP's are not very forthcoming in this area, the list is mostly generated by experience. It is possible Cox was/is trying something in one area before releasing it through their entire network.

If you are submitting via email and getting replies then this is not happening to you. If you are sending email submittals and getting no response and no messages are waiting for reporting, then this may be happening to you.
connyank
QUOTE(StevenUnderwood @ Jul 7 2005, 06:51 PM)
If you are submitting via email and getting replies then this is not happening to you.  If you are sending email submittals and getting no response and no messages are waiting for reporting, then this may be happening to you.
*


Sorry, not yet used to input format, but I think this is ok...
Just sent 8 reports, got 8 back to me. So, cox ain't doin it here (L. A.) YET...
Jeff G.
Please note that if you are with an ISP that is filtering out your SpamCop mail submissions, and they allow, say, 1/2 of the single-spam submissions, and you send a submission with, say, 3 spams, that will make the likelihood of them allowing that submission 1/8 or less; for 8 spams in one submission, the likeliihood goes down to 1/256 or less. Therefore, I suggest that people in such a position not try to submit multiple spams per submission.

P.S. I wrote "or less" because the filtering method used may be additive, where individual spams would pass but attached together in one submission they cause that submission to be filtered.
sojs
Hello ---

Please add Hostgator to the list of misbehaving ISPs. My open ticket number with them is "[HGSales #AHN-13042-988]".

If you are a SpamCop Admin or Moderator, please feel free to email sales at hostgator dot com or support2 at hostgator dot com, with a cc to me - sean at twin-dad dot com, to try to explain to them the error of their ways. I've gone round and round with them and am pretty much fed up with them.

Granted, I'm on a shared hosting plan with these guys, at $14.95/month, but this service is atrocious, IMO. I am already looking for a new host and/or an email service provider. Read on if you want, and you can make up your own mind too ...

Mike Easter on the SpamCop newsgroup recently walked me through the process of troublehooting this problem, and it became quite clear that Hostgator's Exim 4.50 configuration is the issue. Below are the more relevant excerpts from my emails to and from Hostgator support. Enjoy!

Thanks for any help, suggestions or even just commiseration that you can offer,

Sean Sowell

=====

From: "Sean Sowell"
To: "Hostgator Support Team"
Sent: Thursday, July 14, 2005 0951
Subject: Please let me send email a t t a c h m e n t s to S p a m C o p

> > Hello,
> >
> > Ok lets try it again. I am closing this ticket. Please reply me in a new
> ticket. i.e changing the subject line to something else. Let me see if it goes
> through.
> >
> > Best Regards,
> > Joe,
>
> OK. Just so you understand where I'm coming from, this is about the ninth or
> tenth time I have /tried/ to set up a support ticket about this issue. One of
> the attachments is named *-take-4.txt, but that just means that I tried to get
> this issue across to you folks four times on the 13th alone. I have actually
> been trying to get this thing resolved with Hostgator since July 9th.
>
> FAIR WARNING: By now, I am _/VERY/_ frustrated and ticked off. From my point
> of view, all this hassle over what should be a simple fix is TOTALLY
> UNACCEPTABLE.
>
> See the files inside the attached zip file for my questions. Follow the links I
> gave in those files, so you can understand the issue and see how much time I
> have already taken with the folks on the S p a m C o p news groups.
>
> And finally, PLEASE ANSWER MY QUESTIONS!!!! I am trying to learn and understand
> here. DO NOT just keep throwing up one straw-man objection after another and
> ignore my questions.
>
> Thank you.
>
> Sean Sowell
> www.twin-dad.com, et al.
>
> PS: I'm putting the extra spaces in between certain words because apparently my
> previous submissions were triggering one or more Hostgator filters.

=====

From: "Sean Sowell"
To: "Hostgator Support Team"
Sent: Thursday, July 14, 2005 2212

> > Email attachment issue should be fixed now.Please retry.
> >
> > Best Regards,
> > Joe,
>
> Hello Joe ---
>
> Nope, sorry, that didn't work. I tried to submit the 21 spams that got by
> SpamAssassin in the past 48 hours. Below is the full message source, with a few
> things [munged]. I also snipped off all but the first spample.
>
> If you need more info to troubleshoot this, please let me know and I'll help as
> best I can.
>
> Thank you for your effort!!!
>
> Sean

...

=====

From: "Sean Sowell"
To: "Hostgator Support Team"
Sent: Friday, July 15, 2005 0046

> > Hello,
> >
> > The .eml files were being filtered. I removed it. Is it still not
> working ?
> >
> > Best Regards,
> > Joe,
>
> Still not working. The latest attempt is attached, [munged] and snipped
> for brevity.
>
> Sean

...

=====

From: "Hostgator Support Team"
To: [Me]
Sent: Friday, July 15, 2005 0708

> The system filters out eml attachments and for good reason. There is no way to configure/remove this on a per domain basis... and I will not do it globally.
>
> Thank you for allowing me to assist you!
>
> Warm Regards,
>
> L.Foster (GatorLyron)
> Systems Administrator
> Hostgator Support Team

=====

From: "Sean Sowell"
To: "Hostgator Support Team"
Sent: Friday, July 15, 2005 0741

> Good morning ---
>
> Still not working.
>
> Key part of the attached file ----> X-Failed-Recipients:
> submit.[munge]@spam.spamcop.net
>
> Am still unable to forward .eml attachments to SpamCop. It appears that I
> can now write ".eml" in the body of the email without it being rejected,
> but of course that isn't the solution to this problem.
>
> FWIW, if you simply allow your _known_ _legitimate_ customers to include
> .eml attachments in any message addressed to submit.*@spam.spamcop.net,
> then that should work, and still keep the window small enough to prevent
> the propagation of malware to any other address.
>
> The "*" just after the "submit." above is a unique multi-character
> identification code issued by SpamCop to each registered user. For
> example, my unique code is sixteen characters long, contains upper and
> lowercase letters only, and is in the form NRFjzSoSDnLDupEk. This is not
> my actual SpamCop code; I just created this sample to /look/ like it.
>
> I don't know if SpamCop ever issues codes that include numbers or any
> other ASCII characters, or if they are always sixteen characters long. I
> also don't know if Hostgator's outbound mail filters allow for wildcarding
> and/or whitelisting of specific destination addresses in conjunction with
> otherwise blacklisted file attachment extensions. Nonetheless, I offer
> this information in the hope that it helps you to resolve the problem.
>
> Thank you again,
>
> Sean Sowell

=====

From: "Sean Sowell"
To: "Hostgator Support Team"
Sent: Friday, July 15, 2005 0748

...

> That is not an acceptable response. Please escalate this, to the owner of
> the company if necessary. Please also see the message I sent to Support2
> about six minutes ago. The information there may help.
>
> Thank you.
>
> Sean Sowell
> www.twin-dad.com, et al

=====

From: "Sean Sowell"
To: "Hostgator Support Team"
Sent: Saturday, July 16, 2005 1213

> > > The system filters out eml attachments and for good reason. There is
> no
> > way to configure/remove this on a per domain basis... and I will not do
> it
> > globally.
> ...
> > That is not an acceptable response. Please escalate this, to the owner
> of
> > the company if necessary. Please also see the message I sent to
> Support2
> > about six minutes ago. The information there may help.
>
> Yesterday morning at 0748 Pacific time, I asked that this issue be
> escalated. Since then I have not heard anything.
>
> QUESTION: Has it been escalated?
>
> QUESTION: Who at Hostgator has responsibility for this issue now?
>
> QUESTION: When should I expect a response?
>
> Thank you,
>
> Sean

=====

From: "Hostgator Support Team"
To: [Me]
Sent: Monday, July 18, 2005 0736

> The system filters .eml files due to virus and attack concerns. This configuration is set in the interest of system security and will not be unset. If you need to send a .eml file, ensure you enclose it into a zipfile before sending.
>
> Thanks for choosing HostGator!
>
> -David

=====

From: "Sean Sowell"
To: "Hostgator Support Team"
Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2005 1336

> David, I am sorry that this has gotten to this point, but you really do
> need to READ MY PREVIOUS POSTS. Your reply leads me to believe you do not
> understand the limited scope of my request.
>
> I am NOT asking that .eml attachments be allowed to be sent to any domain.
> All I am asking is that .eml attachments be allowed to be sent to the
> spamcop.net domain. The SpamCop spam parser is specifically designed to
> accept such attachments.
>
> Again, this respone is not acceptable. Please escalate, to the owner of
> Hostgator if necessary.
>
> Thank you.
>
> Sean

=====

From: "Hostgator Sales Department"
To: [Me]
Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2005 2348

> I am sorry there is nothing more we can do regarding this unless you wish to purchase a dedicated server than we can configure any way you want.
>
> Thank you for allowing me to work with you!
>
> Sincerely,
> Brent

=====

From: "Sean Sowell"
To: "Hostgator Sales Department"; "Hostgator Support Team"
Sent: Wednesday, July 20, 2005 2051

...

> Hello Brent,
>
> If, judging from some of the Forum posts, you are Hostgator's owner, could
> I ask please for the _reason(s)_ that Hostgator is not willing to let me
> fight the good fight against spam and send my spamples to SpamCop by way
> of .eml attachments?
>
> If you are not the owner though, please escalate my request to him/her.
>
> Once you guys make this change all you need to do is get out of the way
> and let me do my thing. I can't see how my request is unreasonable in any
> way. I also can't see how this request would create any risk, liability
> or downside for Hostgator or its other customers.
>
> If I'm wrong, please tell me how and why. Yes, I am clearly frustrated.
> But please also help me understand this seemingly bizarre refusal to make
> an apparently small one-time change to your mail server(s). Unless I am
> completely off-base, it looks to me like you guys would rather shield the
> spammers from active members of the anti-spam community like me!
>
> It just makes no sense to me that you would rather side with the spammers
> against the larger internet community.
>
> And I don't see why I should be asked to spend untold more $s per month
> for a dedicated server, just to obtain this one - apparently simple -
> thing!?
>
> Thank you.
>
> Sean

=====

From: "Hostgator Sales Department"
To: [Me]
Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2005 0003

> The system filters out eml attachments and for good reason. There is no way to configure/remove this on a per domain basis... and I will not do it globally. if we changed this on the server Many of our users would be getting viruses as well as sending them, and we would be blacklisted, much more frequently.
>
> Thank you for allowing me to work with you!
>
> Sincerely,
> Brent
Jank1887
Just remember, as long as they're RFC compliant, they can configure their servers however they want to. (just like we can configure ours to not talk to spammers.) They've made their business decision, and usually will only make changes when it affects their business. Assuming you cannot convince them otherwise, you're only recourse (as you've alluded to), and the appropriate one, is to take your business elsewhere. Make sure you let them know why you left. The mighty dollar is the most powerful argument you have.
turetzsr
...A [probably very dumb] question for the knowledgeable: is there an alternative to an "eml" file for this purpose? Perhaps providing Hostgator with such an alternative would be more productive.
...FWIW, I think you were overly hard with Hostgator support, Sean -- not because your ultimate goal (submitting spam to SpamCop via e-mail) is not worthy but because you haven't seemed to recognize the validity of their reluctance to allow eml attachments. Their problem, if I understand correctly, is that it just isn't possible for them (or, at least, it isn't possible as far as they know) to allow eml attachments to go to only SpamCop -- they either have to let them go to anyone or to no one and they have (reasonably, IMHO) chosen the latter.
sojs
QUOTE(Jank1887 @ Jul 22 2005, 04:48 AM)
... as long as they're RFC compliant, they can configure their servers however they want to.  (just like we can configure ours to not talk to spammers.)  ...you're only recourse ... and the appropriate one, is to take your business elsewhere.  Make sure you let them know why you left.  The mighty dollar is the most powerful argument you have.
*



Thanks, Jank1887. I guess I lack the rhetorical abilities and/or technical know-how to convince them to let me fight the good fight, so I am definitiely looking for another host.
sojs
QUOTE(turetzsr @ Jul 22 2005, 09:56 AM)
...FWIW, I think you were overly hard with Hostgator support, Sean -- not because your ultimate goal (submitting spam to SpamCop via e-mail) is not worthy but because you haven't seemed to recognize the validity of their reluctance to allow eml attachments.  Their problem, if I understand correctly, is that it just isn't possible for them (or, at least, it isn't possible as far as they know) to allow eml attachments to go to only SpamCop -- they either have to let them go to anyone or to no one and they have (reasonably, IMHO) chosen the latter.
*



I agree I was hard on them Steve. Also, after getting Brent's reply, I reviewed some of the relevant archive threads of the Exim users mailing list (recall that Exim is Hostgator's mail server). Exim indeed only allows for filtering of attachment types (.eml, .exe etc) for the whole server, and does not permit custom settings for each sender or each recipient. So I better understand their predicament now. Even so, I thought I did a decent job of limiting the scope of my request but maybe not. Like I noted for Jank1887 above, maybe my persuasive abilities and/or technical know-how were not up to snuff.

Had I known about the limitations of my ISP's mail server software beforehand, I probably would not have raised such a ruckus with them. I suspect that ANY ISP which uses Exim will suffer from this same limitation, and would therefore probably choose not to allow any .eml attachment, just as you described above.

Also, if Thunderbird, Pegasus or another mail/news reader allows me to save full message source in a format other than .eml, GREAT!!! I am still on this learning curve and am definitely open to suggestions. I have heard that .mbox files are more of a Unix standard for email data files, but as you asked above, I do not know if SpamCop can parse .mbox attachments just as it can parse .eml attachments. I don't know if the .mbox extension can be used under my Win2K os, or if it's only used in Unix/Linux land. And I don't know if a similar 'forward as attachment' mechanism exists in either the TBird or Pegasus MUAs, as it does in Outlook Express.

Will definitely keep reading and learning as best I can.

Many thanks again for your post Steve.

And, thank you WazOO, for adding Hostgator to the list at the very top of this thread.

Best regards,

Sean Sowell
Jeff G.
In addition to the advice I offered in my post http://forum.spamcop.net/forums/index.php?...findpost&p=2294, you may also want to tell them simply "Since you insist that you are better at protecting me and the Internet from spam, starting tomorrow morning I will be sending you all the spam that you won't let me report via email to SpamCop, so that you may do a better job at reporting and filtering using that spam." I wrote a similar statement some time ago, but can't find it at present.
Miss Betsy
QUOTE(sojs @ Jul 22 2005, 01:29 PM)
Thanks, Jank1887.  I guess I lack the rhetorical abilities and/or technical know-how to convince them to let me fight the good fight, so I am definitiely looking for another host.
*


Rhetorical abilities or technical know how can work with a white hat; nothing works with a black hat; and an 'empty hat' (that's a great way to describe incompetence) simply gets confused and spouts canned responses.

Don't be so hard on yourself. You didn't lack anything.

Miss Betsy
turetzsr
QUOTE(Miss Betsy @ Jul 23 2005, 12:08 AM)
<snip>
nothing works with a black hat; and an 'empty hat' (that's a great way to describe incompetence)
<snip>
*
...Yes, it is!! biggrin.gif <big g>
Jank1887
Have the people who are having difficulties submitting by email found any workarounds? Other than one at a time cut-and-paste?

If your email can be POP'd (downloaded/accessed) to any other network, I would recommend finding a free account somewhere that lets you POP the account you're having trouble with, and then submit to SC from there. I'll not plug here, but I'll throw a post with recommendations over in the Geek/Tech things forum.

edit:
Link to Freeshell post: http://forum.spamcop.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=4666
sojs
Yes, copying and pasting each full message source into a new email for SpamCop is slow and cumbersome.

At first I researched other possible email solutions such as FastMail. With a paid account, they would let me point all my mx records to one of their domains so I could send and receive email through their servers using Thunderbird or any other email client (also known as a mail user agent or MUA). For most people, Fastmail or a similar email service provider (ESP) would probably work just fine and would let you submit to SpamCop via .eml attachments.

For me though, I was beginning to discover that the type of hosting account I have was too restrictive. Not just because of the way they were processing my email through their servers, but also because of the limitations I began to see with regard to my ability to run my small e-commerce site.

Up til now I've had a shared hosting plan. These are very common of course, and you can find any number of good plans at AllCheapHosting. One of the limits of any shared plan though is you only have acess to the server via the host's chosen 'control panel'. No secure shell (SSH) access, no access to the SpamAssassin configuration file, no ability to choose a mail server program, etc. Also, there's no ability to really get inside a MySQL database or osCommerce shopping cart and really configure them the way I need.

I found myself searching fruitlessly for a shared host that offered all the features I need. I could have complete control with a dedicated server, but the $100+ monthly cost is more than I can pay now. A dedicated server is when you rent an entire internet-connected server in a colocation facility or data center.

Instead, a virtual private server (VPS) seems like a good middle ground for me. For anywhere from $8 to $60/month, I can rent a set portion of an entire server. I can install whatever operating sytem (OS), mail server (such as qmail), and e-commerce tools I want. Am finally ready to take the plunge into Linux. My primary search and screening tool for this has been FindMyHost, but there are any number of review/comparison services on the net that will let you make an informed decision. For now, I'm going with either Advantagecom or WestCoast.

The real kicker though, is that I can configure SpamAssassin however I want, so I can submit to SpamCop using .eml attachments or even more automated means. I can also use any or all of the real-time block lists (RBLs) to cut down the amount of spam that gets through to my inbox

For the past couple weeks I've been researching these options and making sure things will work togetther. It'll take a few more days to get things transferred over and set up the way I want. Soon, less spam will be coming in, I'ill be a lot happier about that, and I can concentrate on growing my business.

Cheers ~

Sean
Wazoo
Based on traffic seen at http://news.spamcop.net/pipermail/spamcop-...read.html#10550 Valueweb.net added to the list of ISPs filtering outbound traffic.
joyce
I have Comcast for my ISP. Before I signed up with Spamcop, I reported about 30-40 spams to Comcast every day. Now they have the nerve to block anything from Spamcop? My daughter has been trying to send me emails from her Yahoo and Juno account and Comcast blocked her emails and deleted them. When I reported this to them, Comcast told me to tell her to disable both of our security software and for me to contact her ISP.

What a bunch of idiots.

Joyce

mad.gif
dra007
QUOTE(joyce @ Dec 29 2005, 12:49 PM)
I have Comcast for my ISP.  Before I signed up with Spamcop, I reported about 30-40 spams to Comcast every day.  Now they have the nerve to block anything from Spamcop?  My daughter has been trying to send me emails from her Yahoo and Juno account and Comcast blocked her emails and deleted them.  When I reported this to them, Comcast told me to tell her to disable both of our security software and for me to contact her ISP.

What a bunch of idiots.
*


Indeed, comcast, which are now unfortunately my ISP as well, are idiots. Not only they do nothing about spam but when you complain to their abuse desk they start probing your ports. I have to work hard to keep them from breaching my firewall.
turetzsr
...Hope you Comcast victims can (and will) find an alternative! I'm almost fed up enough with their failure to control spam that I think about canceling my cable TV service (but then I'd miss Star Trek reruns and pro wrestling on Monday nights and the rest of my family would be really pissed at me! smile.gif <g>).
Jeff G.
QUOTE(turetzsr @ Dec 29 2005, 01:55 PM)
...Hope you Comcast victims can (and will) find an alternative!
*
So do I.
QUOTE(turetzsr @ Dec 29 2005, 01:55 PM)
I'm almost fed up enough with their failure to control spam that I think about canceling my cable TV service (but then I'd miss Star Trek reruns and pro wrestling on Monday nights and the rest of my family would be really pissed at me! smile.gif <g>).
*
You may not know it yet, but you might also miss Monday Night Football, which will move to ESPN next season. The last airing of it for free on ABC was three days ago. sad.gif
turetzsr
QUOTE(Jeff G. @ Dec 29 2005, 05:17 PM)
<snip>
You may not know it yet, but you might also miss Monday Night Football, which will move to ESPN next season.  The last airing of it for free on ABC was three days ago. sad.gif
*
...No biggie -- we haven't had a professional big-league football team for years here in the Detroit area.... smile.gif <g>
joyce
I am on the phone with Comcast's corporate office. I was told that a supervisor from their tech support would research the issue and get back to me sometime today. Yeah right.
Jeff G.
QUOTE(joyce @ Dec 30 2005, 11:08 AM)
I am on the phone with Comcast's corporate office.  I was told that a supervisor from their tech support would research the issue and get back to me sometime today.  Yeah right.
*
Your levels of sarcasm and cynicism seem about right. You might want to add some paranoia by getting as much contact info as you can for the people you talk to. Good luck with that! smile.gif
Jeff G.
ISPs: There appears to be no need for any ISP to filter outgoing email messages that contain spam sent to the following subdomains:
  1. spam.spamcop.net (Submissions of spam received by your Customers/Members/Users, sometimes not via your network, sent by Customers/Members/Users you have in common with SpamCop)
  2. reports.spamcop.net (Replies to aliases of SpamCop Reporters who sent SpamCop Reports to your Customers/Members/Users, sometimes not via your network)
joyce
QUOTE(Jeff G. @ Dec 30 2005, 11:54 AM)
Your levels of sarcasm and cynicism seem about right.  You might want to add some paranoia by getting as much contact info as you can for the people you talk to.  Good luck with that! smile.gif
*


Jeff, I was on the phone with Comcast for almost two hours. From now on, I am going to refer to this company as the idiot factory. I was told that spamcop is a third party email program and for me to find out what type of mail software Comcast, Yahoo, Juno and Outlook Express uses.

I was also told to have my daughter to call to find out why I am not receiving her emails.

blink.gif

What a bunch of morons.

Joyce
Jeff G.
QUOTE(joyce @ Dec 30 2005, 07:14 PM)
I was on the phone with Comcast for almost two hours.
*
I'm sorry for your loss (of time).
joyce
Jeff, the idiots at Comcast has added NetTemps as a list of spammers. My daughter is ticked off big time. Here she is looking for a job and Comcast is preventing her from finding one.

Joyce mad.gif
blink.gif
Wazoo
QUOTE(joyce @ Jan 4 2006, 08:58 PM)
Jeff, the idiots at Comcast has added NetTemps as a list of spammers.  My daughter is ticked off big time.  Here she is looking for a job and Comcast is preventing her from finding one.
*


This dialog has been posted into a Forum described as;
SpamCop Reporting
How to Instructions Only - Problems and issues belong in the other specific Forum sections

The Topic was started to deal with some ISPs running some filters that ended up blocking some outgoing e-mails from some folks attempting to report their spam. This latest turn of complaining about ComCasts's selection of other items for filtering action probably needs to be moved to the Lounge area, as the "how-to" part of the dialog seems to have been lost.
Lking
My ISP should be added to the list of those blocking incoming SC reports and outgoing spam reports.

Outgoing: the bigger (number of attachments) the email the more likely the filter will see something to trigger the spam block. Also a large number of similar emails (TO:, subject) will also trigger the block. Some times it seems to trigger a tarpit, but with the problems with spam.spamcop.net this can not be confirmed. I was also told that a TO: address like the reporting addy (submit.xx8cuU [at] spam.spamcop.net "Looks like a spam address." (God help us all)

Incoming: Lots of spam submitted with quick or submit emails result in lots of emails from SC with similar TO:, Subject: and From: this triggers the incoming block.

By watching the "Past Reports" tab I was able to keep track to the outgoing emails blocked and reports coming back. But lately the logistics of keeping track of 100+ spam going and coming with up to a hr delay showing up on SC and 6 hrs getting back is to much.
Wazoo
QUOTE(Lking @ Jan 4 2006, 11:24 PM)
My ISP should be added to the list of those blocking incoming SC reports and outgoing spam reports.

You are posting from a radix.net IP address, but ... this doesn't state that this is the ISP that you may be talking about.
QUOTE
Outgoing: the bigger (number of attachments) the email the more likely the filter will see something to trigger the spam block. Also a large number of similar emails (TO:, subject) will also trigger the block.  Some times it seems to trigger a tarpit, but with the problems with spam.spamcop.net this can not be confirmed.  I was also told that a TO: address like the reporting addy (submit.xx8cuU [at] spam.spamcop.net "Looks like a spam address."  (God help us all)

The troubleshooting procedure of sending CC: copy of these submittals to another off-ISP account can be used to verify/analyze any such triggering.
QUOTE
Incoming: Lots of spam submitted with quick or submit emails result in lots of emails from SC with similar TO:, Subject: and From: this triggers the incoming block.

This was recently brought up somewhere else. Guess I need to add this possibility to the inital post/explanation of things. Thanks for the reminder.
QUOTE
By watching the "Past Reports" tab I was able to keep track to the outgoing emails blocked and reports coming back. But lately the logistics of keeping track of 100+ spam going and coming with up to a hr delay showing up on SC and 6 hrs getting back is to much.
*


And as seen today, the story goes that some reports were in fact sent, but due to JT's system going down, there were some 4xx errors introduced into the stream, and some number of spam submittals were re-sent (some numerous times) .. introducing even more errors into your tracking mode <g>
Lking
Yes, Wazoo, radix.net is my ISP.

After beating them for several days they finely figured out how NOT to block reports. I haven't gotten any reports from SC that reports are being bounced (well for 2 days). Finely today as of 0900 -0500 all spam sent by email yesterday has been matched by reports received back from SC. longest delay between my time sent and time I (ISP) received was about 5 hrs. This is the first day incoming matched outgoing sense the first of the year as reported in other threads.
Lking
QUOTE(Lking @ Jan 5 2006, 10:33 AM)
Longest delay between my time sent and time I (ISP) received was about 5 hrs. 
*


On the other hand, right now the round trip delay is only 14 min.
Farelf
There was some suspicion that iinet.net.au might need to be added to the list above (1 ) but not so. Details on the non-delivery of my forwarded email from that provider is at http://forum.spamcop.net/forums/index.php?...indpost&p=39377
Stan_qaz
It looks like Hughes.net using cp.net as their mail processing service needs to be added to the clueless list. HughesNet is the new name for the DirecWay Satellite Internet service.

Connection log:

·[ Wrote ]
·[ Wrote ]
·[ Wrote ] .
·[ Read ] 554 Message refused
·[ Wrote ] RSET
·[ Read ] 250 RSET
·[ Wrote ] QUIT
·[ Read ] 221 n126.sc0.cp.net QUIT

What is going to be needed at some point is another way of quickly submitting spam reports, bypassing clueless ISP's mail servers.

BlueSecurity.com is working on a HTTP based spam submission method using plugins for your mail program. FireTrust.com uses a spam submission method that avoids SMTP for thier FirstAlert spam blocking service.
StevenUnderwood
QUOTE(Stan_qaz @ Apr 7 2006, 02:51 PM)
What is going to be needed at some point is another way of quickly submitting spam reports, bypassing clueless ISP's mail servers.
*


There is already the HTTP paste in box at http://www.spamcop.net. Historically, SMTP was added later to ease the process.
Stan_qaz
QUOTE(StevenUnderwood @ Apr 7 2006, 03:36 PM)
There is already the HTTP paste in box at http://www.spamcop.net.  Historically, SMTP was added later to ease the process.
*



That does bypass the SMTP server problems but it sure isn't quick, submitting a couple hunderd spams that way isn't possible unless you have a bunch of free time.
Farelf
QUOTE(Stan_qaz @ Apr 9 2006, 03:06 AM)
That does bypass the SMTP server problems but it sure isn't quick, submitting a couple hunderd spams that way isn't possible unless you have a bunch of free time.
*
Indeed ... thanks for highlighting some options:
QUOTE(Stan_qaz @ Apr 8 2006, 03:51 AM)
BlueSecurity.com is working on a HTTP based spam submission method using plugins for your mail program. FireTrust.com uses a spam submission method that avoids SMTP for thier FirstAlert spam blocking service.
*
I note InvisiBill's post: http://forum.spamcop.net/forums/index.php?...indpost&p=40959
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