SPAM and SPAM BLOCKERS - the cure as bad as the disease??

Well, this is really irritating.

Lately I have been getting a whole slew of emails sent from my server getting bounced back to me as being block by the recipient's ISP. Apparently the IP address I am using was at one time likely used by a spammer, and this is listed in one of more of these databases. So I went to those sites, figuring it would be an easy matter to clear this error up.

WRONG! They don't even want to talk to anyone. Matter of fact, typically the sites don't even have contact email addresses listed and say that the way they determine SPAMMERS is via their own determination of what it SPAM and whom is doing the SPAM. The public has no say in the matter at all. Pretty cocky of them, eh?

So what's worse? Receiving email that might be SPAM, or having your valid emails blocked because some pencil necked geek in Great Britain says you are a spammer?

I guess you have to decide that yourself.

Oh yeah, get THIS! Some of these lists will block an entire ISP just because a spammer is using, or has used, them. That means that if some spammer gets a temporary account with YOUR ISP and sends out a bunch of spam before relocating somewhere else, YOUR ISP could be put on the banned list and then all of YOUR emails will be blocked. How would that set with you?

Personally, if I found out that MY ISP was blocking my emails, for whatever reason, I would have a real big issue with that. Suppose I had customers trying to reach me that for whatever reason, their IP address was being blocked by the self-elected SPAM police? They would be costing me business due to no other reason than the ISP, along with the SPAM BLOCKERS, have made a determination about whom can and cannot send and receive email.

Now I hate SPAM as much or more than anyone else, but I think this is not the right way to go about it. There are no mechanisms in place that I could find to correct errors, much less be cognizant of the fact that a spammer can change an IP address at the drop of a hat, leaving everyone else holding the bag.

This problem is growing and you all need to be aware of it. When someone asks you whether or not you got the email they sent you, and you did not, you may want to think about this.

My suggestion would be to check with your ISP to see if they are using those SPAM BLOCKER services (SPAMHAUSE, SPEWS, and others). Then you need to make the determination of whether you want this flawed system filtering YOUR email or not.

It is a frustrating situation for everyone. We all get sick of the spam, but then there are not enough options provided for the users. I don't like my mail automatically returned to servers, just give me a spam folder and let me decide for myself what is spam.
Spam is frustrating, especially when my eleven year old receives porno and credit card offers in his mail.
Some of my mail considered spam, I actually want. It is not fair to return the mail automatically without consulting the consumer.
My email was being returned from the posts and I let my email service know that I did not appreciate it and they had better let it through to me. Don't decide for me, I am the Customer!!!!!!!!!
Maybe companies will get enough complaints from consumers that they might give their programmers incentive to produce more user friendly programs.
It is frustrating to have a server tied up with bounced mail when the person has asked for it.
Can you imagine how frustrated the people that actually WANT the porno feel? What about if you are looking for a hot date on the net?
What I want to know is, why can't we get the mail we want from sites that might have been blacklisted, but the porno always gets through?


Candy King

Unfortunately my e-mail was one of those affected by your move to your new ip address. But all I did was get your IP address. I sent it in to my ISP and told them I was losing business and they need to fix it because they are costing me business. To make a long story short. I can now be e-mailed from this site again. My e-mail service provider is pretty good at fixing the problems. and for 15 bucks a year..... for three custom e-mails....that is not bad at all