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List:       tmda-users
Subject:    Handling SMTP errors
From:       "Todd A. Jacobs" <nospam () codegnome ! org>
Date:       2007-06-01 18:42:30
Message-ID: 20070601184230.GD21579 () penguin ! codegnome ! org
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Charter is a rotten ISP, but they probably typify the industry. One of
Charter's lame policies is that they refuse to process bounces for a
number of domains such as gmail, presumably in a non-RFC compliant way
to prevent joe jobs.

Anyway, I get a lot of transactions like this:

    Jun  1 10:53:17 penguin postfix/smtp[21794]: E4CF237CA9:
    to=<foo@gmail.com>, relay=smtp.charter.net[209.225.8.224]:25,
    delay=0.94, delays=0.05/0.07/0.66/0.16, dsn=5.0.0, status=bounced
    (host smtp.charter.net[209.225.8.224] said: 550 relaying mail to
    gmail.com is not allowed (in reply to RCPT TO command))

when TMDA attempts to send its challenge message. So, while TMDA is
obviously working as designed, it raises a few questions:

    1. Should challenges be bounces, or new messages? Bounces help
       prevent joe jobs, but obviously run afoul of relay restrictions.

    2. If they remain bounces, how should undeliverable errors be
       handled? Currently, messages remain in the pending queue, but
       perhaps other configurable actions (hold, discard, or deliver to
       known-spam folder) might be more appropriate.

The current flaw isn't in TMDA, but I think the question of how TMDA can
handle ISP ignorance is a good one to discuss.

-- 
"Oh, look: rocks!"
	-- Doctor Who, "Destiny of the Daleks"
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