No implementation for shlwapi.dll.0(StrRetToBufA)

[Francois Gouget]

On Mon, 12 Feb 2001, Dan Kegel wrote:

> Francois Gouget wrote:
> >    But I'm not behind a modem. I'm behind a DSL so the above really
> > doesn't matter much.
> 
> Ah, but you don't have a static IP address, I bet.
> It's much easier to track back spam to a static IP address,
> so those addresses are much safer from being spam sources.
> It's those dynamic IP addresses that let spammers hide.

   How is forcing me to use my ISP's mail server going to help?
   You'll get the ISP's IP address granted. But the 'From' field is
going to be forged so the ISP will have no idea of who sent the mail.

   The only way for them to find out is to look at the header and see
from which IP address the mail originates. And this is going to be
what? You guessed it, a dynamic IP address! Just like in the headers you
get from me: they source is my dynamic IP address.

   So you're back to square one and you haven't gained anything.

   Ok, I'm not an expert of spam tracing, but it seems to me that the 
best way to find its source is to do a whois and a traceroute on the
originating IP address.


> >    It also seems to me that this leads to a system where dialup users
> > are second rate internet citizens and have fewer rights than first rate
> > citizens. So in this future if you're not an accredited corporation you
> > would not have the right to connect to any computer but your ISP's
> > servers which will then relay your traffic... for a fee, if they see
> > fit...
> 
> Well, sorry, but if you want to get rid of spam, we need to add some
> primitive tracability features to the email system, and requiring a
> static IP is part of that.

   I'm not convinced about the static IP aspect. Even if it turns out to
be necessary I still cannot swallow the way the MAPS DUL puts it:
"...use the equipment you're authorized to use". This clearly implies
I'm not allowed to connect to their email server. If that's so I really
don't see why I would be allowed to connect to their Web server, or
anonymous ftp server, ...
   Then what's left of the Internet?

--
Francois Gouget         fgouget at free.fr        http://fgouget.free.fr/
 "Only wimps use tape backup: _real_ men just upload their important stuff on
       ftp, and let the rest of the world mirror it ;)" -- Linus Torvalds