[ARC5] Disabled subscriptions to ARC5

[Randy]

Folks:

The large email providers, such as Yahoo, AOL, Gmail, Facebook, Hotmail,
Compuserve, etc., have adopted or are considering new software which is
designed to reduce spam.  Some of us have heard about this over the past few
months.  But the new software has its problems.

Today I received a large number of disabled account notices from the qth.net
mail server based on excessive bounced mail.  It looks like AOL (who also
owns CompuServe and CS) implemented this new "feature" yesterday and all
AOL, Compuserve, and CS mail accounts are no longer accepting list email, at
least from qth.net. AOL now considers messages from many listservers,
including ARC5 (and probably all qth.net lists) as spam.  When AOL sees a
message from ARC5, for example, its new rules define it as spam and it
bounces the mail back to the ARC5 mail server.  After so many refused
messages the ARC5 server gives up and unsubscribes you.  Neither I nor the
ARC5 servers at qth.net are operating any differently than we ever have; AOL
is the one now doing the bouncing.  This has been discussed at length around
the internet in recent weeks although perhaps not much on the ARC5 list.  

Here is a link to a more detailed explanation posted on the TAPR site:

http://tapr.org/tapr_sigs.html


I am told that one solution is to use a different email address.  For
example, set up a free email account at another provider or at ARRL.ORG (for
example).  Have your lists, such as ARC5, go to that address (which will not
bounce it back to AOL).  Then you can have ARRL.ORG forward messages on to
your normal AOL address.  That way they will not appear as coming from an
"offending" list server and should not be bounced by AOL.  Forwarded mail is
apparently treated differently from list mail from the list servers.

I know this is a nuisance but many, many folks are having the same problem
right now.  Maybe the big boys will eventually figure out how to fix it.
The smaller ISPs apparently are not part of the club and most are not using
the new software and their users are not having the problem.

Anyway, that is my understanding of the problem.  Perhaps someone else can
clarify or offer a better solution.


Randy, W7HR
ARC5 list admin