[ALUG] email bouncing ?

[MJ Ray]

James Freer <jrjfreer at googlemail.com> wrote:
> I've recently adopted a greyhound and joined a forum which for some 
> reason doesn't like emails from a aol.com address. They are not sure why 
> and i would be grateful if someone could explain. Below is a quote from 
> that email.

Summary: greyhoundhomer.org.uk is using a sender-verify callback and
AOL is rejecting the verification calls because they set off anti-spam
traps.  As far as I can see, both mailservers are doing something
wrong, but it only causes bounces when they interact.  Sender-verify
is harmful (making other mailservers work for you is rude) and AOL's
anti-spam rejection tactics are harmful (too many false positives and
not documented accurately).

Solutions:
1. get greyhoundhomer.org.uk to stop using sender-verify;
2. ban AOL addresses from the forums.

If I ruled the world, I'd do both.

>    ----- Transcript of session follows -----
> ... while talking to greyhoundhomer.org.uk.:
      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
      keywords about where we got this info from

>  >>> >>> RCPT To:<sally at greyhoundhomer.org.uk>
> <<< 550-Callback setup failed while verifying <jessejazza at aim.com>
> <<< 550-Called:   64.12.138.120
                    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
		    AOL's mailserver

> <<< 550-Sent:     initial connection
> <<< 550-Response: 554- (RTR:CH)  
> http://postmaster.info.aol.com/errors/554rtrch.html
> <<< 550-554  Connecting IP: 65.98.59.114
> <<< 550-The initial connection, or a HELO or MAIL FROM:<> command was
> <<< 550-rejected. Refusing MAIL FROM:<> does not help fight spam, disregards
> <<< 550-RFC requirements, and stops you from receiving standard bounce
> <<< 550-messages. This host does not accept mail from domains whose servers
> <<< 550-refuse bounces.
> <<< 550 Sender verify failed
          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
	  keywords

> 550 <sally at greyhoundhomer.org.uk>... User unknown

This seems to be greyhoundhomer.org.uk reporting a response from
aol.com's mailservers.
http://postmaster.info.aol.com/errors/554rtrch.html suggests that they
reject greyhoundhomer.org.uk because some AOL members complained about
email from it, but I've found that to give false positives before.  It
beggars belief that AOL implemented a similar system to spamcop, but
it looks like they did just that.  It's still September!

Hope that helps,
-- 
MJ Ray http://mjr.towers.org.uk/email.html tel:+44-844-4437-237 -
Webmaster-developer, statistician, sysadmin, online shop builder,
consumer and workers co-operative member http://www.ttllp.co.uk/ -
Writing on koha, debian, sat TV, Kewstoke http://mjr.towers.org.uk/