Re: DNS Choices: Was: [ietf-dkim] Re: Last Call: 'DomainKeys

[Jeffrey Hutzelman <jhutz at cmu.edu>]

On Wednesday, November 22, 2006 04:00:49 PM +0000 Tony Finch <dot at dotat.at> 
wrote:

> On Wed, 22 Nov 2006, Michael.Dillon at btradianz.com wrote:
> > SMTP, on the other hand is an operational failure and even today, no one
> > really knows how to properly implement and properly maintain an SMTP
> > service. The actions of criminals exploiting weaknesses in the SMTP
> > architecture have led to a series of bandaids that still have not proven
> > to be effective.
>
> Any communications mechanism which allows you (or your organization) to
> receive messages from people (or organizations) you have no prior
> relationship with is vulnerable to spam. Spam is NOT an SMTP problem.

Correct.  For example, the postal mail system is vulnerable to this same 
problem:

As is my usual practice, I asked the post office to hold my mail while I 
was away at IETF 67 (this is a standard service offered by the US Postal 
Service at no charge).  I took some time off after, so when I finally 
picked up my mail, it was about 3 weeks worth.  I received a plastic 
shopping bag full of mail, and after I sorted through it, I had several 
bills and a grand total of three other pieces, all of which were 
prearranged (an issue of QST, a newsletter, and an invitation).  The rest 
of the bag was spam.

-- Jeff

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