If you believe the blacklists, Ameritech, Southern Bell, British Telecom, and Australia’s BigPond are spammers… or rather, all of their subscribers with in-house mail servers using cable, dsl or dial-up are spammers.

SORBS Reverse Block List intones,”It is a matter of debate as to whether a user at home should be running their own mailserver, however, it is the opinion of SORBS that anyone competent should be allowed to run their own mailserver, but all outgoing mail from dynamic address space (and in a few cases static space) should be made to flow through their ISP’s mailserver.”

In other words,

  1. Every user of a dsl or cable line is a home user, and;
  2. Your mail server should be running through the very mail servers you’re trying to avoid.

While SORBS claims it dings only dynamic address space, other RBLs aren’t so discriminating. A UK partner was picked up by BLARSBL, DNSBLNETAUT1, NJABLDYNA, RRBL and SORBS-DUHL. A savvy colleague using Ameritech was nailed by all of the above, plus NJABLDUL and NOMOREFUNN. An innocent Australian partner was hung by DNSBLNETAUT1, FIVETENSRC, JAMMDNSBL, LNSGDUL, NJABLDYNA, and SORBS-DUHL. Even a mail server running on a static wireless t1 line was condemned without trial by BLARSBL (one of the nuttiest) and LNSGDUL.

Contrary to RBL logic, many businesses buy cable and dsl for cheap fast connections. They’re not breaking any laws. They’re not bending any rules. And they don’t trust their mail servers to outside vendors.

Still smugly relying on RBLs? Try our Reverse Black List Check, courtesy of openRBL. Don’t be shocked if someone has blacklisted you.

What to do? You don’t want to miss good mail. And you can’t fight two hundred executioners with a hodgepodge of sharpened axes.

Simply depend on RBL spam labeling opinions as much as you would those of your crazy Aunt Hattie (who also sometimes makes sense). Use them like we do: Very, very, very carefully.