Microsoft Details Spam Fighting Plans

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Microsoft has tapped IronPort Systems to provide antispam protections for its MSN and Hotmail e-mail services, the companies announced this week. IronPort will provide Microsoft with its "bonded sender" e-mail certification program, which aims to create a list of certified senders of bulk e-mail, the San Bruno, California, company says. Microsoft has been testing the IronPort program for the past five months, according to IronPort.

To qualify for the so-called "white list," senders of bulk e-mail pay a financial bond, agree to a set of best practices for sending commercial e-mail and are monitored by TRUSTe, a nonprofit organization that monitors complaints against bulk e-mailers, IronPort says. Should senders violate any of these best practices, debts are taken against the bonds, which are calculated based on the monthly volume of mail sent, the company says.

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News source: PCWorld

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#1 EnIgMa-PenGuIn on 05 May 2004 - 19:25

1: nice double post there. i actually caught that

2: i dont like this idea of a bond to much.. now it'll just be profitable spam or maybe high brow spam that will enter my box.. 20,000 bond.. i hope they loose that plus get a fine

(1 reply) #2 markjensen on 05 May 2004 - 19:25

According to MSNBC, Microsoft will charge email marketers money in order "to ensure their messages aren't mistaken for unwanted spam".

Sounds like Microsoft is accepting money for "pass-thru" of some spam...

[EDIT: I wondered what happened to my original post

]

#2.1 Octol on 06 May 2004 - 04:22

I think you posted here:

http://www.neowin.net/comments.php?id=19696&category=main

(2 replies) #3 evilroy on 05 May 2004 - 20:27

Morons! Just because they pay a third party to facilitate the SPAM doesn't mean I want to receive any of it! On the bright side, at least we'll know which domains to block.

#3.1 chacho on 05 May 2004 - 22:32

this will decrease the amount of spam drastically, to the point where it is hardly an annoyance:

email is currently free (not taking into account ISP fees)
therefore, spam is currently free
therefore, if you make 1 cent from your spam, you have made a profit.

if you have to pay to spam, you are no longer making that much of a profit from any purchase, so you wont spam as much.

then again, this might be a more effective medium for exposure by any size company, and depending on what microsoft sets its prices at for this, it might increase. who knows? dont forget, though it seems like most spammers use hotmail accounts

#3.2 mipra on 14 May 2004 - 01:44

that's a good premise

#4 brianshapiro on 05 May 2004 - 22:45

This means that spammers wouldnt be able to send things with the source unidentified so you can easily hold the senders accountable and unsubscribe. It also gets rid of the scam spam messages.

So this is actually a good measure against spam. People who say they don't want the spam which would get through with the companies paying, are just anti-ad nuts. If they are on a whitelist and they dont unsubscribe you or send your email to spam buddies you can report them easily

#5 mipra on 14 May 2004 - 01:44

hmm..Do i smell something fishy here? or...it's me?

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