to control spam let's break the net?

[Robert Laughlin <robert () portal dx net>]

Well spam is bad, but I do not think this is the answer either. 
DataXchange has spent lots of efforts at spam control, but apparently Karl
does not think we have done enough. Based on receiving this one email,
relayed thru us, he has decided to put a block in place.  Most of our
customers use portal.dx.net and other machines in the same address block
as a mail relay, so he has effectively cut off most of our ISPs and their
customers from his net. Of course maybe his network is pure, and he has
found the magic bullet that stops any of his customers from spamming or
relaying spam from any of his hosts or his customer's hosts.

Regards,
Robert Laughlin
president
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
DataXchange                sales:  800-863-1550            http://www.dx.net
       Network Operations Center:  703-903-7412 -or- 888-903-7412
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Fri, 31 Oct 1997, Karl Denninger wrote:

> Dear Site Administrator:
>
> Your netblock has been banned from our service for one or more of
> the following offenses:
>
> 1)    You have been used as a mail relay for spam or other unsolicited
>       electronic mail, and we are unable to determine if you are an
>       unwilling victim or a participant in the scheme.
>
> 2)    Your domain ORIGINATED a spam or other unsolicited transmission
>       of electronic mail to multiple accounts on our service, and we
>       have received complaints or otherwise detected this unsolicited
>       transmission.
>
> 3)    A customer of your service appears to have used *OUR* servers
>       as a relay for unsolicited email or other traffic to other
>       unwitting users of the Internet.
>
> If the offense is (2) or (3), your netblock has been PERMANENTLY blocked
> until and unless you do one of the following:
>
> 1)    Identify and remove the perpetrator of this offense.  We require
>       documentation that the perpetrator has been removed from your
>       service and will not be sold access through your organization
>       or any affiliate or subsidiary in the future.  Note that this
>       option will be offered only ONCE per perpetrator (ie: if you
>       misrepresent that a given organization has been removed, we will
>       not allow you this option a second time)
>
> 2)    Identify *TO US* the source and perpetrator of this offense.  
>       This includes their physical address, telephone number, and 
>       sufficient unambiguous identifying information so that we may 
>       take remedial action ourselves against this party if we so 
>       choose to do so.
>
> 3)    You may choose to pay MCSNet a fee for the processing of the spam 
>       or other UCE which your organization originated, whether by yourself 
>       or on behalf of one of your customers who you choose to protect.  
>       The fee is currently US $500.00, doubled for each offense (ie: the 
>       first offense is $500, the second $1000, the third $2000, etc).  
>       The block will be removed when the fee has been paid in good US
>       funds.  HOWEVER, note that paying the fee does not prevent the
>       block from being reinstated if you spam us again (in which case 
>       the fee escalates as stated above).
>
> If the offense is (1) above, the block will be removed when you demonstrate
> to our satisfaction that further relaying from the originating source is no
> longer possible.
>
> Since you can no longer transmit email to our domain, to correspond with us
> you must call our technical department at +1 312-803-6271 (press "T").  A
> technical support representative will assist you.  This department is open
> from 8:00 AM - Midnight Monday through Friday, and 9-5 on weekends.
>
> Thank you.
>
> MCSNet Management
>
>
> -----Forwarded message from 56694256 () compuserve com-----
>
> Received: from portal.dx.net (portal.dx.net [199.190.65.2]) by Mailbox.mcs.net (8.8.7/8.8.2) with ESMTP id EAA05582; 
> Fri, 31 Oct 1997 04:03:14 -0600 (CST)
> From: 56694256 () compuserve com
> Received: from dx.net (ppp-206-171-250-28.vntrcs.pacbell.net [206.171.250.28])
>       by portal.dx.net (8.8.5/8.8.5) with SMTP id FAA10023;
>       Fri, 31 Oct 1997 05:00:10 -0500 (EST)
> Date: Fri, 31 Oct 97 01:04:14 EST
> To: FreeSatellite () aol com
> Subject: FREE SATELLITE DISH
> Message-ID: <>
>
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> -----End of forwarded message-----