nanog mailing list archives

RE: ARIN whois


From: Bruce Campbell <bc () vicious dropbear id au>
Date: Tue, 23 Nov 1999 19:17:43 +1000 (EST)


On Mon, 22 Nov 1999, Roeland M.J. Meyer wrote:

What "legitimate business purposes" necessitate leaving SMTP
relays open
to the world?

How about running a commercial email gateway? 

Lets try another analogy set, ie  You run a gas station.  

open-relay:
        You give out free fuel to whoever turns up in a vehicle capable of
        accepting fuel from your bowser.

pop-before-smtp authentication:
        You require a valid corporate fleet card before handing out fuel.

full-anti-relay:
        You require payment before letting them near the bowser.

trusted-hosts or IP-based access lists:
        If their numberplate is in a certain range, give them free fuel.

How about commercial anonymous re-mailers? 

Ah, this would be:

        You give out free fuel on sighting, but not verifying, a corporate
        fleet card, and give them a new car.

--==--
Bruce.

Peregrinus expectavi pedes meos in cymbalis est.




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