uOn Mon, 18 Nov 1996, Ernest Hua wrote:
It seems that there are many technical means to stop abuse from the resource usage sense:
1. Prevent non-members from sending mail to the list. (This may be done already, but since I don't know, I cannot say.)
This makes anonymous remailers not be able to send to the list, which is (in principle) a Bad Thing.
2. Limit the rate of new subscription requests (perhaps on a per- host or per-domain basis.)
Most domains don't have more than 1 problem user on them and on this list.
3. Re-order out-going mail (from toad.com) according to size. Drop messages from queue if it gets "reordered" too many times.
nononononononono Bad Bad Thing. If you start doing that, we'll start getting replies before messages _even more than we do now_.
4. Truncating long messages.
You _must_ be joking...
5. Re-order out-going mail (from toad.com) according to time of last mail (from the originator). Basically, limit the rate of mail from any particular person or host or domain.
This hinders many discussions; easier and more effecient not to.
6. Refuse connections from "known host(s) or domain(s) of abusers" during "busy" periods.
Which would only really be usefull on users who needed to be removed anyway. A Better fix might be to and more disk space to queue messages in.
These are not whole-sale censorship mechanisms, but just abuse- resistence measures.
"Abuse-resistance" is simple: If somebody abuses the list, warn them. If they continue, John does what he did to Vulis. Good Thing. 'nuff said.
Ern
--Deviant Blood flows down one leg and up the other.