Unknown mailhost changes

[Windrider6]

If my hosting company for my domain name changes mailhost(s), do I need to update the Spamcop mailhost configuration for my e-mail address?

It would seem to me that the answer would be "Yes". So how can I avoid a problem if my hosting company changes the mailhost(s) without telling me? They never tell me such things.

Maybe this goes to the heart of the reason why my hosting company will now not forward spam to my Spamcop address? They change their webhost, my Spamcop webhost configuration becomes invalid, and then Spamcop reports my hosting company as a spammer?

Am I right. Am I wrong? What should I do?

[turetzsr]

If my hosting company for my domain name changes mailhost(s), do I need to update the Spamcop mailhost configuration for my e-mail address?

It would seem to me that the answer would be "Yes".

...IIUC, I believe it depends on what you mean by "changes mailhost(s)." If that means adds or changes outgoing IP address then I would think that the answer would be yes. There may be other interpretations of "changes mailhost(s)" for which it would not be necessary. The safe thing to do is to re-run the SpamCop MailHosts configuration process -- doing that should never hurt (other than your time and network traffic if it turns out to not have been needed).

<snip>

So how can I avoid a problem if my hosting company changes the mailhost(s) without telling me? They never tell me such things.

...That's probably the case for almost all of us SpamCop reporting users. The only way you will know for certain if they don't tell you is that the SpamCop parser will offer to report the spam to your e-mail or internet service provider.

Maybe this goes to the heart of the reason why my hosting company will now not forward spam to my Spamcop address? They change their webhost, my Spamcop webhost configuration becomes invalid, and then Spamcop reports my hosting company as a spammer?

Am I right. Am I wrong? What should I do?

...Only you, your hosting company and SpamCop staff, given sufficient information from you, would know that. You can look through your Past Reports to see if you've reported any of your providers. You'd have to check with your hosting company to determine why they are no longer forwarding spam to SpamCop (assuming they're willing and able to tell you the truth) -- it could be as simple (and paradoxical) as that they've started enforcing a rule that they will not send any e-mails that include the word "spam."

...Again, it shouldn't hurt to be safe and go through the WebHost configuration process from time to time. And always watch for an occasion when the SpamCop parser offers to send a report to the abuse address of your provider.

[Windrider6]

Thank you for your response.

I believe it depends on what you mean by "changes mailhost(s)."

I mean any change that could affect the Spamcop mailhost configuration.

The only way you will know for certain if they don't tell you is that the SpamCop parser will offer to report the spam to your e-mail or internet service provider

That would mean taking the time to manually report every spam. Who has time for that? I have a paid Spamcop address, and just click to "Report as spam".

What I really need is someone to host my e-mail and forward all e-mails that go to my main e-mail address at my domain name to my Spamcop address. No one will do that anymore. They all want to reject e-mails based on RBLs before the e-mails can get even to my spam rules with my account. And then won't forward spams because their outgoing e-mail servers reject them.

[turetzsr]

<snip>

I mean any change that could affect the Spamcop mailhost configuration.

...Ah, okay, thanks for the clarification. I believe that is the context that I assumed for the rest of my reply.

That would mean taking the time to manually report every spam.

...You never have to report all your spam, just those for which you have the time and inclination.

<snip>I have a paid Spamcop address, and just click to "Report as spam".

...Presuming by "SpamCop address" you mean an e-mail address, I'm afraid I can't guide you because I don't but perhaps someone else here will be able to do so. My understanding was that unless you are using "Quick Reporting" that SpamCop requires that you first review any reports that it offers to send but perhaps the functionality of "Quick Reporting" is built into the e-mail service.

...From what I've seen, the SpamCop reporting capability was built on the assumption that reporters would carefully review the reports that the SpamCop parser offers to send or, with the MailHosts configuration option, for providers who do not change the IP addresses of their outgoing servers. Like yours, my provider (my employer) does make changes from time-to-time but does not tell me and so I have to carefully watch the addresses to which SpamCop offers to report. Fortunately, I receive very little spam these days.

What I really need is someone to host my e-mail and forward all e-mails that go to my main e-mail address at my domain name to my Spamcop address. No one will do that anymore. They all want to reject e-mails based on RBLs before the e-mails can get even to my spam rules with my account. And then won't forward spams because their outgoing e-mail servers reject them.

...Most users would be very happy that their provider rejects spam -- many of us here are exceptions in this respect. But a number of providers, such as Yahoo!Mail, do deliver suspected spam to a separate folder and allow you to report them to SpamCop. That's not entirely what you want but I know there are users whose providers not only let spam flow through but also allow users to forward spam to their SpamCop e-mail addresses because some of them are participants in these forums! <g>