[IP] more on Delete: Bathwater. Undelete: Baby.
Begin forwarded message:
From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: August 16, 2004 11:34:07 AM EDT
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
Cc: lauren@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [IP] Delete: Bathwater. Undelete: Baby.
The two entrepreneurs were flabbergasted. Not only did they have no
idea the e-mail had been sent, they had no idea that it had been
snuffed out as junk.
....
<http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/05/technology/circuits/05filt.html>
Dave,
Even within the specific domain of spam filtering (as opposed
to other approaches to try deal with spam) the particular
problem noted as the main example -- an important piece of
e-mail lost without the sender or addressee knowing about it --
could have easily been avoided.
The entire model of simply trashing e-mail assumed to be spam,
or even moving it to "junk" folders where it might never be
examined in a timely manner (if at all) is fatally flawed.
Yet all it takes to fix this aspect of the problem is to make
sure that the sender is notified that the message didn't get
through. Spammers will likely never see that notice, but legit
senders will.
For example, no matter what the reason that an item of e-mail
sent here is rejected (blocked host, spam filters, graylist,
etc.) the sender is immediately notified (via an SMTP reject)
that the message had a "problem" and what they can do about
it. The Reject includes a URL here that gives them specific
instructions, including a Web form that can be used to send in
a note directly, to let me know that they're trying to reach me
-- see http://www.vortex.com/mailblock (specific rejects will
go directly to specific relevant locations on that page).
In any case, the sender knows something is amiss, and can if
they wish pick up the phone and call. They are not faced with
the risk of having their message go into a black hole and not
even know it.
I consider irresponsible any anti-spam system that does not
make a good-faith effort at notifying the sender on a timely
basis that their message won't go through. It's relatively
straightforward to handle this particular matter correctly if
we're willing to make the effort.
--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren@xxxxxxxx or lauren@xxxxxxxxxx or lauren@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR - People For Internet Responsibility -
http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, Fact Squad - http://www.factsquad.org
Co-Founder, URIICA - Union for Representative International Internet
Cooperation and Analysis - http://www.uriica.org
Moderator, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
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