Please do not use spamcop to block email

[RW]

On Saturday 21 October 2006 01:13, Joe Holden wrote:
> Bo Briggs wrote:
> > I received this, and
> >
> > Reason: Service unavailable; Client host [205.152.59.64] blocked using
> > bl.spamcop.net; Blocked - see
> > http://www.spamcop.net/bl.shtml?205.152.59.64
> >
> > this is the bellsouth.net mail server.
> >
> > I respect the rdnsbl's, but please use spamcop as a filter, use
> > cbl.abuseat.org if you want accurate results. Anyone can place an IP on a
> > blacklist with a couple of reports to spamcop, and as I remember, it
> > takes 24 hours before the block is in place.
> >
> > I've run a few mail servers before, and I do use the rdnsbl's, but
> > spamcop is only used as a filter.
> >
> > Please reconsider using this as an absolute block.
>
> Valid points, however you should be asking your isp why they're on there
> in the first place.  I know its not as simple as that as I run several
> mail clusters myself, but its not the responsibility of mailing lists to
> ensure mail isn't blocked from what is listed in the rbl's.

Well, should they be blocking with a list that's intended for scoring 
purposes?

> Alternative 
> is to use your own mailserver, and not a widely abused isp mailserver.

He can't really win. The normal advice these days is to relay though a 
smarthost to avoid dynamic address blocklists, which are considerably less 
aggressive than spamcop.