Hotmail Uses RBL

from the spam-be-gone dept

Microsoft's Hotmail has started using the Realtime Blackhole List of open servers that spammers often use to block spam. It is a very drastic move, and I'm not sure it's the best move, but it might lead to forcing some of those servers to close up their access. I still prefer an approach like Spamcop to an absolute ban. If Hotmail implemented Spamcop's filtering method, that would probably be a bit fairer.
Hide this

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team


Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread


  • identicon
    Brian Mobley, 10 Nov 1999 @ 12:54am

    SPAM?

    I've been using hotmail for e-mail in the past few weeks. Withing Two hours of starting my new HotMail accout(before I'd had used the account), I had received SPAM from a reputable computer company that I respect.

    At that time there were only two people that new my e-mail address (even COULD know my e-mail address), yet I was STILL contacted.

    I susspect taht either 1) there is another path into the homail network which is now known, or 2) hotmail is sellling my address, despite thier policy statements.

    I'm really wwondering about my (at that time) unused accout and a respectable computer company.

    Now, I've receveived SPAM before, but not from a computer a

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      parmeisan, 11 Jun 2001 @ 3:18pm

      Re: SPAM?

      I don't know all that much about this, but from I've heard, spammers sometimes send e-mail through another address so it looks like it comes from there, but they really know noting about it. I was actually reading about some people who received junk e-mail that appeared to be from themselves. So perhaps the computer company is not to blame.

      Also I don't know if it means much to either of your theories, but I had hotmail for about 6 months before I received a single spam message. Then one day I just started getting them and now I get about 5 a day. (not much compared to what some people get, but it went from 0 to 5 a day in a day!)
      I guess I think that must mean hotmail sells the address because all the spam companies couldn't have found that path on the same day unless they were told about it.

      link to this | view in chronology ]


Follow Techdirt
Essential Reading
Techdirt Deals
Report this ad  |  Hide Techdirt ads
Techdirt Insider Discord

The latest chatter on the Techdirt Insider Discord channel...

Loading...
Recent Stories

This site, like most other sites on the web, uses cookies. For more information, see our privacy policy. Got it
Close

Email This

This feature is only available to registered users. Register or sign in to use it.