UCEProtect (was Re: screen size ...)

[/dev/rob0 <rob0 gmx co uk>]

On Fri, Jul 01, 2011 at 01:17:58PM +0100, keith karsites net wrote:
> Please can something be done about the spam blocker that gnome 
> uses, because I cannot send any mail to the mc gnome org list from 
> my local machine. Here is the bounced messages I keep on getting:
>
> The following message to <mc gnome org> was undeliverable.
> The reason for the problem:
> 5.1.0 - Unknown address error 554-'5.7.1 Service unavailable; 
> Client host [212.50.160.34] blocked using dnsbl-1.uceprotect.net; 
> IP 212.50.160.34 is UCEPROTECT-Level 1 listed. See 
> http://www.uceprotect.net/rblcheck.php?ipr=212.50.160.34'

Did you read that link? It's very good, and (when you go to the 
second page) it says you should talk to your ISP.

You are paying your ISP for service. They're apparently not 
controlling abuse adequately, and thus are not providing you the 
service for which you are paying.

You are not paying UCEProtect, nor gnome.org, nor us, the list 
subscribers. Furthermore you are asking the one group among the 
listed groups that cannot possibly do anything about it:
 - The ISP can curtail the abuse which causes the listing.
 - UCEProtect can remove the listing.
 - The gnome.org postmaster can choose not to use UCEProtect.
 - But we here can't do anything!

As a mail administrator myself, I would not trust UCEProtect. They 
don't have the reputation and stature of Spamhaus.org and other 
well-known DNSBLs. The UCEProtect Level 1 policy says that they'll 
list for spamtrap hits, but possibly also for personal reasons of 
UCEProtect administrators. But they also say that it tries to be 
conservative.

One thing I decided long ago, before I knew anything about mail: 
don't use ISP-controlled email addresses. That leaves you overly 
dependent on the ISP, and not free to leave them. There are large
freemail services such as GMX which are reliable and portable.
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