Autoresponder being marked as spam

[Glenn Steen]

On 11/03/2008, Rob McDonald <admin at rcx.ca> wrote:
> Thanks for the response I have resolved the issue. On the topic you bring
>  up, I am curious how much using this will affect my spam. Does anyone have
>  any statistics on spam increases using autoresponders? Thanks

It is wellnighimpossible to get any relevant statistics to "prove"
that autoresponders/OoO/whateveronecallsthem are Evil(tm). Simply
because you have no real (relevant) statistics to compare with. The
spam volume might fluctuate regardless of your use or not.
What I'm pretty certain of is that it does impact your users
significantly, since they will be responding to opportunistic spam
attempts... This could help a spammer to verify guessed addresses, and
by that virue make that address occur on more spammers lists... They
do sell their address lists, the vermin.
What it definitely does, unless you have a very very clever and
foolproof autoresponder (have yet to see one:-), is to make YOU a
spammer, of sorts. All they need do is "reflect" their spam off of
your autoresponder. A "good" way to get on some BLs...:/

Autoresponders fill a function within the organisation, and your users
will demand that it works outside it too. They are wrong, when they
claim it is a business need. It is not. None will be happy for
receiving a message that you are out of town. They needed you. If they
need you enough, they will demand that you read your mails regardless
if you are on vacation/seminar/in jail/whatever... Or they will simply
call you. If you don't want to monitor your work mail while on
vacation.... have a colleague do it. Most mailsystems can handle that.

I haven't decided yet which is worse... Autoresponders done wrong, or
catch-all addresses...:-):-)

Cheers
-- Glenn
> ----- Original Message -----
>  From: "Alex Neuman" <alex at nkpanama.com>
>  To: "MailScanner discussion" <mailscanner at lists.mailscanner.info>
>  Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2008 3:18 PM
>  Subject: Re: Autoresponder being marked as spam
>
>
>  > <RANT>
>  > There are many people here who might agree that autoresponders are
>  > *always* SPAM. I personally avoid them more fervently than STDs. I'd
>  > rather have something that clears up after two weeks on antibiotics  than
>  > the PITA of having to deal with spammers using me as their spam  factory.
>  > </RANT>
>  >
>  > On the more serious side (I'll hate myself for saying this), if the
>  > autoresponder always comes from the same IP (127.0.0.1 for example)  you
>  > could whitelist stuff that's "From:127. and From:*@mydomain.com"  so that
>  > it doesn't get marked.
>  >
>  > On Mar 11, 2008, at 12:49 PM, Rob McDonald wrote:
>  >
>  >> The problem I am having is that it seems mailscanner marks these as
>  >> spam. Is there any way I can avoid this? Thanks in advance.
>  >
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-- 
-- Glenn
email: glenn < dot > steen < at > gmail < dot > com
work: glenn < dot > steen < at > ap1 < dot > se