"Remove These Headers" in MailScanner.conf

[Jethro R Binks]

On Thu, 30 Oct 2008, Julian Field wrote:

> I have just come across a pretty good looking list of headers that you
> probably don't want in your incoming mail. 

You're welcome Julian.

On Thu, 30 Oct 2008, Martin.Hepworth wrote:

> Not sure about the read/delivery reciept stuff in there. A lot of people 
> like to spam themselves with this stuff....I know it's a bad idea along 
> with OoO replies but 'user's who need educating may take a dim view.
> 
> What do other folk think?

There is no guarantee that any those headers have any operational meaning 
outside one's own administrative zone for email, and maybe not across 
different systems within it.  Either the remote system may not support 
responding to them, or the end user may choose not to allow the 
acknowledgement.  Absence of an auto-ack does not mean the message was not 
read, and end users should be trained accordingly.

I personally consider it none of the sender's business when I happened to 
read one or other email.  If I make a reply, then they'll know I read it 
then.  That's all they need to know.

In terms of MailScanner, then, I would probably suggest leaving the mail 
box status messages (X-IMAPBase:, Status:, etc) in the default list (a 
security decision), and then just listing the others as possible 
additional inclusions for those sites which want to additionally block the 
requests for disposition notifications/read receipts/etc (a policy/privacy 
decision).

On a similar note, I am always much amused when "XYZ has recalled the 
message 'Blah blah blah'" messages go to mailing lists.  Such features are 
even more useless, generally only working for internal email only: once 
the email has escaped to the Internet, it is too late.  Drawing attention 
to the message ("Hmm, why did they want to recall it, what juicy gossip 
did they mis-send?") only serves to compound the error.

Jethro.


> 
> --
> Martin Hepworth
> Snr Systems Administrator
> Solid State Logic
> Tel: +44 (0)1865 842300
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: mailscanner-bounces at lists.mailscanner.info
> > [mailto:mailscanner-bounces at lists.mailscanner.info] On Behalf
> > Of Julian Field
> > Sent: 30 October 2008 15:32
> > To: MailScanner discussion
> > Subject: "Remove These Headers" in MailScanner.conf
> >
> > I have just come across a pretty good looking list of headers
> > that you probably don't want in your incoming mail. These
> > include headers that trigger "read receipts", as well as
> > headers whose presence might break either your mailbox store
> > or your users' email applications.
> >
> > Remove These Headers = Disposition-Notification-To:
> > Return-Receipt-To:
> > X-Confirm-Reading-To: Disposition-Notification-To:
> > Receipt-Requested-To:
> > Confirm-Reading-To: MDRcpt-To: MDSend-Notifications-To: Smtp-Rcpt-To:
> > Return-Receipt-To: Read-Receipt-To: X-Confirm-Reading-To:
> > X-Acknowledge-To: Delivery-Receipt-To: X-PMrqc: Errors-To:
> > X-IMAPBase:
> > X-IMAP: X-UID: Status: X-Status: X-UIDL: X-Keywords:
> > X-Mozilla-Status:
> > X-Mozilla-Status2:
> >
> > Use this, or any subset of it, if you want to. I have added
> > it to the documentation in the MailScanner.conf file for the
> > next release (which will be tomorrow or Saturday probably).
> >
> > Jules
> >
> > --
> > Julian Field MEng CITP CEng
> > www.MailScanner.info
> > Buy the MailScanner book at www.MailScanner.info/store
> >
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> > Contact me!
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> >
> >
> > --
> > This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous
> > content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.
> >
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> 
> 
> 
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-- 
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Jethro R Binks
Computing Officer, IT Services, University Of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK