[Fists] Status of Earthlink vs ARRL

[Robert Block]

As someone whose day job is managing Internet mail and network issues, let 
me put what Earthlink said in an amateur radio perspective.

Basically, the ARRL can't run an open mail relay service anymore than they 
can run a totally-open repeater.  Once something undesirable is accepted 
at the input, it will be repeated, but with your callsign, and you are 
responsible.

The protocols used for E-mail are similar in concept with traditional 
traffic handling (including "servicing" undeliverables).

Rejecting bogus messages as close to the origination point as possible is 
important.  If you knew that someone was sourcing bad traffic, would you 
QSP?  Of course not.  And if you do, don't blame others who now suspect 
you.

The IP address of the upstream, SMTP dialog, headers and content offer 
many clues about the propriety of a message, but Earthlink asserts that 
ARRL is not being selective about what they accept and relay. 

It's a very nasty world out there and ARRL needs to consider how their 
actions facilitate the work of spammers.  The Burke quotation about good 
people doing nothing seems applicable here.