Frank Exchange of Views

Background: news.admin.net-abuse.sightings is a newsgroup for posting copies of spam, so that the domains and servers involved become public record. Gradwell, run by the eponymous Peter, currently host noctua.org.uk. Peter Gradwell objected to my posting copies of spam to the newsgroup because his machines appear in the headers of all my email. <lj-cut text=”Now read on…”>

  Date: Tue, 28 Sep 2004 00:11:16 +0100
  From: Paul Wright <-$P-W$-@noctua.org.uk>
  Cc: Peter Gradwell <peter@gradwell.com>
  Newsgroups: news.admin.net-abuse.email, uk.net
  Subject: Gradwell.net policy on .sightings postings (was Re: spam reports in usenet)
  
  On Mon, 27 Sep 2004, Peter Gradwell wrote:
  
  > You have reported a spam in news.admin.net-abuse.sightings.
  
  In fact, I have reported several hundred, I should think, if not more.
  I've not counted then all.
  
  > Unfortunately, when customers do this it tends to backfire horribly as
  > the mail is seen to pass through our mail forwarding system and we
  > then get accused of spamming.
  
  Accused by whom? news.admin.net-abuse.sightings is for posting copies of
  spam with full headers. I tend to obscure my own email addresses so that
  it won't be picked up, but many other posters don't.
  
  > It takes a lot of time and resources to persuade our server colocation
  > providers that we are not spamming. Usually we are only able to enter
  > into these discussions after we have had our servers unplugged.
  
  The spam I have posted clearly does not originate at your servers, as
  the headers show it mostly comes via pobox.com's forwarding service, and
  originates at open proxy servers (usually in the Far East). If your
  colocation providers are really so clueless, I would be concerned for
  the reliablity of your internet services, in any case.
  
  > I must therefore insist that you immediately
  >
  >          - post a followup message to your posting pointing out that
  >          we have nothing to do with the origination of this spam and
  >          that you did not intend to cause us to be associated with it.
  
  For the avoidance of doubt, I make it clear that Gradwell's machines did
  not originate any of the spam which I have posted to
  news.admin.net-abuse.sightings.
  
  I shall post a copy of this email to both news.admin.net-abuse.email and
  uk.net. I hope that will suffice.
  
  >          - cease posting spam reports of this nature that include our
  >          mail servers in the headers.
  
  I shall certainly do so.
  
  > If we receive another spam report originating from yourself that
  > detriments our good standing in the community we will be forced to
  > terminate your account without further notice.
  
  Coo. I believe your policy is misguided but be assured I shall abide by
  it for as long as you continue to host my domain.
  
  -- 
  Paul Wright | http://pobox.com/~pw201 | http://blog.noctua.org.uk/
  Reply address is valid but discards anything which isn't plain text
  
  



Now, I would have been OK had he not made that threat at the very end. We could have come to an arrangement, or discussed the problem. As it is, come renewal time, I’m gone. I hear Black Cat Networks are cheaper. 😉

Update: of course, I’m still there as I’m far too busy to work out how to transfer the domain. Still not particularly impressed, OTOH, they’re technically competant and have a nice interface.

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