As you may know, I manually scan all new registrations for PFF making sure no spam sign-ups get through or people are trying to register multiple usernames. Then I usually wait for about half a day before activating a registration. The forum software sends a confirmation email (with password info) to the email address provided and if there's a problem with the email address (which causes the software to be unable to deliver the email), I receive a "Delivery Failed" email from either the recipients mail server or my own mail server. I then delete the registration - all to make sure the registration database is as clean as possible (and not bloated with fake signups).
The most common reasons the confirmation email is returned are "No such user", "Host not found" and "Mailbox full". A few times per year I receive a "Sender's host blocked", which means the other side is an over-active mailserver which blocks every host from which it has received a spam email. Considering spammers use random username/hosts as the sender, these mailserver block almost everybody.
But a few minutes ago, I received a "Delivery Failed" email stating a reason I've not seen before:
Your IP address is from a blacklisted country.
Wow. Yeah, that's a very effective way of blocking spam: blacklist any country where spam could possibly originate from. I'm sure the clients of this provider get no spam at all. Then again, I don't think they get any email at all.
PS: fencepost, if you are reading this, this is the reason you haven't received your password through email yet. And I can't send you the password myself since, well, I live in the same country my webserver resides in...
Just another case of Homeland Security running rampant? Cliff, I've never considered your country to be a member of the 'axis of evil' , but maybe someone may see it as a 'nexus of nihilism'. Maybe the US needs to be protected from european philosophers.
------------------ Ol' Paint, 88 Base coupe auto. Turning white on top, like owner. Leaks a little, like owner. Doesn't smoke, unlike owner
Just another case of Homeland Security running rampant? Cliff, I've never considered your country to be a member of the 'axis of evil' , but maybe someone may see it as a 'nexus of nihilism'. Maybe the US needs to be protected from european philosophers.
No, it wouldnt be the HSD, it would just be a rather short sighted company/ISP.
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08:41 AM
Toddster Member
Posts: 20871 From: Roswell, Georgia Registered: May 2001
Hey wait a minute, not sure if this is the exact same thing but my Outlook at work allows me to block or blacklist countrys from sending me email. IIRC, I right clicked on the spam and there was an option to do this. I selected all countrys then unselected Canada and the United States to let email through. Cut my spam down by at least 80%. Is this what you're seeing?
Clif, we appreciate the amount of work that you do for us, thank you so much for keeping the forum clean.
Originally posted by Cliff Pennock: ...But a few minutes ago, I received a "Delivery Failed" email stating a reason I've not seen before:
Your IP address is from a blacklisted country.
...
About time they caught up with all you daggum troublemakers. . . . . . Just kidding, Cliff. If there is one country that hasn't generated any spam that I've noticed, it would be NL.
We just installed ironport spam and e-mail scanner. It blocks by IP because host names can be faked. Our old system would block hosts but a lot of spam would get past the filters. Cliff if you want to see if your blocked send me a pm and I will give you my work e-mail address.
[This message has been edited by Jake_Dragon (edited 02-04-2007).]
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11:45 AM
Scott-Wa Member
Posts: 5392 From: Tacoma, WA, USA Registered: Mar 2002
I think the person asking for an account is the one that blocked the country... or his ISP did it. It's not the country the person is from doing it if I'm reading it correctly. Probably someone set some spam setting on way to high of a setting and it autobanned NL.
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11:48 AM
PFF
System Bot
Cliff Pennock Administrator
Posts: 11609 From: Zandvoort, The Netherlands Registered: Jan 99
Yes, it's an ISP that has blocked all email from the Netherlands. In all honestly, NL is #4 when it comes to spam-originating countries. #1 is the USA, #2 China, #3 Russia and #4 is the Netherlands (IIRC). If you block all email from these countries, you are effectively blocking 35% of all internet users.
PS: Fencepost is from the US (Ohio).
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12:19 PM
Formula88 Member
Posts: 53788 From: Raleigh NC Registered: Jan 2001
I keep running into a problem emailing a friend of mine in Alabama. She uses Hostned for her email, and it routinely blocks the Earthlink mail servers in Atlanta becasue "they are on a blacklisted DNS list." Considering how that's probably a central hub for Earthlink email, seems about as useful as blocking an entire country.
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12:41 PM
Scott-Wa Member
Posts: 5392 From: Tacoma, WA, USA Registered: Mar 2002
Yes, it's an ISP that has blocked all email from the Netherlands. In all honestly, NL is #4 when it comes to spam-originating countries. #1 is the USA, #2 China, #3 Russia and #4 is the Netherlands (IIRC). If you block all email from these countries, you are effectively blocking 35% of all internet users.
PS: Fencepost is from the US (Ohio).
We're #1! We're #1! Gooooo US!
Doh!
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12:47 PM
Damien Member
Posts: 477 From: West Bend,WI Registered: Oct 2002
I hate to see us potentially lose a valued member because Cliff's country is full of spammers and the world has caught onto their games
If you want and are able to Cliff, you can send the email thru my mailserver. Just PM or email me and I'll put up an account for you on my fiero domain.
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12:50 PM
Feb 5th, 2007
Synthesis Member
Posts: 12207 From: Jordan, MN Registered: Feb 2002
Basically, it has an email address field (A second one) hidden from a human on the page. When a spambot loads up, IT will see the field, and enter the information.
When the form gets submitted, the backend says "There is data in this field, and there should not be." and ignores the submission entirely..
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01:35 PM
Fastback 86 Member
Posts: 7849 From: Los Angeles, CA Registered: Sep 2003
