Re: tlug: dot forward & procmail

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <turnbull@example.com>]

>>>>> "Simon" == Simon Cozens <simon@example.com> writes:

    Simon> Stephen J. Turnbull (lists.tlug):

    >> Standing up for RFCs is a good thing, but trying to enforce
    >> them on others is a bad idea, unless the only person who loses
    >> mail (etc) is the sysadmin himself.

    Simon> Again, none of my users have lost mail in this way. The
    Simon> idea that "if you run qmail, people won't be able to email
    Simon> you" is, purely and simply, untrue.

I didn't say that, Jonathan did.

I do expect that it is possible to configure qmail to be extremely
strict (knowing DJB's reputation), and what I said is that I suspect
RFC bigots are more likely to use qmail and more likely to configure
it strictly.  And I have lost mail (I know, because at least one got
remailed after I fixed the lack of 1123-compliance in my smail config)
from being overly strict (although in that case it was strictness
violating the RFCs).

    Simon> Would you consider the RBL to be a similarly bad idea
    Simon> because there's a chance that some mail won't get through
    Simon> if you use it?

Yes.  I don't use it.  I have seen reports from several people who
have lost mail through it.

    Simon> In any case, you're blaming the wrong people - people
    Simon> choose, whether through actively or passively through
    Simon> laziness or ignorance, to run hosts that don't conform to
    Simon> Internet standards.

People do _not_ choose the administrators of the hosts that their
correspondents are stuck with.  Their correspondents do not always
choose their own administrators.

    Simon> other sysadmins I know who implement more stringent methods
    Simon> find an email to the relevant admin generally does the

Uh-huh.  But this would probably work nearly as well if the MTA simply
notified the local postmaster who then sent mail to the relevant
remote admin, and let the mail go through.  No?

    Simon> trick - the mail gets through in the end, and the Internet
    Simon> gets tidied up a little. And you're telling me this is a
    Simon> bad thing?

In itself, getting tidied up is a good thing.  But delivery delays and
lost email are often the price.  Are you telling me those are a good
thing, too?


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