Black Listed

[mstepanek]

Contrary to another post we just got black listed using this software. Not to say its the software that is the problem but the ever changing issues around spam detection systems especially those of hotmail and Yahoo which are making it difficult for even valid mailing lists to be tested.

Here's the senario; studentworkforce.ca has a list of over 10,000 contacts (students from around the world but primarily Canada and the U.S). About 7000 of them are hotmail accounts. Since I knew from previous mailouts that there were a hoard of dead addresses I decided to purchase and use your software after testing. I did not use the filter to just accept hotmail and gmail etc as valid because that would not clean up the list. That said, repetitive connections to hotmail (as shown in the console) got us blacklisted on the cbl by ipaddress of our out going host. Not nice.

This software needs an update. It needs to have an option to randomize the domain tested and a means of configuring so that it will not test the same domain more than 3 times in a given time period. I found an article on Microsofts site to the effect but having difficulty finding it again. Will post when I do.

[stanbusk]

We include a rule to set all hotmail addresses as good because it is the best way to go. Do not remove that rule! Checking Hotmail addresses is simply useless! They will tell you anything is valid or anything is wrong, will blacklist you because you perform more than a given connection threshold and so on. It is simply impossible to use their server. The problem is so big that a lot of services and payment processors all other the internet don't accept Hotmail addresses.

[mstepanek]

While I agree with you that hotmail and yahoo and the likes are idiots, considering that 90% of all students have an email address at hotmail, you need to be able to test. While its not going to give you perfect results I think if you follow simple practices you can get respectable results. For example. If I test 3 email addresses at hotmail at a time max, then wait for a few minutes before testing more, I don't get these errors: Also don't use verify for hotmail, the don't like it. If you see in the error message there is a link to info from hotmail on how to send mail to them, yahoo does similar. One issue is how often and how soon a connection is retried.

Short of it is, I believe there is a way to tweak your software to validate lists including hotmail if your smart.

5 > RCPT TO:<alexc_889@hotmail.com>
[01] 4/6 13:40:35 554 Transaction failed
[01] 4/6 13:40:35 > RSET
[01] 4/6 13:40:35 Error #102 - Connection dropped by server.
[02] 4/6 13:40:35 252 Cannot VRFY user, but will take message for <alexitaly416@hotmail.com>
[02] 4/6 13:40:35 > MAIL FROM
[07] 4/6 13:40:35 250 alexc_889@hotmail.com
[07] 4/6 13:40:35 > RSET
[02] 4/6 13:40:35 250 Sender OK
[02] 4/6 13:40:35 > RCPT TO:<alexitaly416@hotmail.com>
[07] 4/6 13:40:35 554 Transaction failed
[07] 4/6 13:40:35 > RSET
[07] 4/6 13:40:35 Error #102 - Connection dropped by server.
[02] 4/6 13:40:35 250 alexitaly416@hotmail.com
[02] 4/6 13:40:35 > RSET
[02] 4/6 13:40:36 554 Transaction failed
[02] 4/6 13:40:36 > RSET
[02] 4/6 13:40:36 Error #102 - Connection dropped by server.
[08] 4/6 13:40:36 > CONNECT TO: [mx1.hotmail.com]
[08] 4/6 13:40:36 220 bay0-mc6-f19.bay0.hotmail.com Sending unsolicited commercial or bulk e-mail to Microsoft's computer network is prohibited. Other restrictions are found at http://privacy.msn.com/Anti-spam/. Violations will result in use of equipment located in California and other states. Sun, 6 Apr 2008 10:40:41 -0700

[stanbusk]

I will see what I can do then.

[herryjohn]

lol...lol.nice

[mailrock]

Maybe have the option to set up a time barrier. Like the better actual mail programs do.

So many sent per so much time with the user being able to insert the two options.

But then again you already know this..

oz

[stanbusk]

Do you mean a 'throttle' setting to limit the number of verification, say, per hour?

[mailrock]

Yes.

Maybe that would make it appear that it wasn't a 'bulk' invasion to the Hotmails of this world.


oz

[stanbusk]

Ok, I take note