Re: Are the GCC lists intended to be open lists?

[Joe Buck <jbuck at synopsys dot COM>]

> I also found my host on their blackhole list.  In my case, it was
> because my host is connected to the internet via a cable modem; it
> seems that this list includes all cable modem and DSL IP addresses
> that the list owner could find.  I can't ask the list owner to unblock
> my address because it changes occasionally; I don't have and can't get
> a fixed IP address.

You aren't blocked because you have a cable modem, but because you have a
dynamic IP address and hence you can't be traced back to your specific
machine should you spew spam.

If you complain about this to the keepers of those lists (Paul Vixie and
the like), they'll tell you that you should solve the problem by relaying
your mail through an SMTP server provided by your ISP.  That would allow
for tracing: if the user tries to spam under this setup, the recipient can
complain to the ISP and the ISP can track down the offender (assuming a
non-spam-friendly ISP that actually cares).

It's getting to the point to where more and more people are refusing to
even allow SMTP connections from dynamic IP addresses.

Maybe IPv6 will fix this if it ever takes over; everyone will then be
able to have as many addresses as they want, at the price of less privacy.