[ale] Once again, how about a virus scanner on the mailing list server?

James Sumners james.sumners at gmail.com
Sat Feb 19 23:22:41 EST 2005


Well, let's see how many ways that assertion is incorrect.

1) The machine that I am typing this email on is running Debian/Sid.
2) My laptop runs Debian/Sid.
3) My XP box, that is only on when I play World of Warcraft or UT2k4,
doesn't even have an email client installed on it.
4) I am now using gmail for all of my ale participation.

I realize that the bounce check email is a feature of mailman. I was
not suggesting turning it off. I was saying that had it not sent me
the email I would have stopped receiving mails from ale.org all
together because the list would have dropped me. I was also
suggesting, for the umpteenth time, that something be done to
_prevent_ such emails from even having to be sent. If virus laden
emails are innoculated _before_ they are put in the outgoing queue
then, while having no relevance, they could safely be delivered to the
members of the list. This is of particular concern now that a fair
number of people have started using gmail for their ale mail; it seems
that gmail flat out _refuses_ emails that contain, or could possibly
contain, viruses thus opening the possibilty for a lot of ale
subscribers to be automatically disjoined from the list.


On Sat, 19 Feb 2005 21:58:38 -0500, Jim Popovitch <jimpop at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Ahhh, one of the "CFowler" viruses.  Chris, there is a special place in
> hell for the fscker that is ruining your good name.  ;-)
> 
> James Summers, the bounce-check email is a feature of Mailman, it was
> sent to you because Mailman experienced several problems delivering
> email to you.  It basically is a last step before automatic removal.
> Now, there are 100 reasons why Mailman could have trouble delivering
> email to you, 33% of them are under your control, 33% of them are under
> ALE control, and 34% of them are under hosting/ISP/backbone provider
> control.  You will live longer if you just accept the fact that every
> now and then "things" will occur that prevent email from always reaching
> you. ;-)
> 
> As for the long list of QMail failed delivery attempts, it looks like
> you sent an email to ALE and Qmail tried to notify you that it had lots
> of trouble delivering your ALE email to many ALE members due to the
> email containing a virus.
> 
> Now, what I want to know is this:  Why does it appear, based on the
> email that you just sent, that you are distributing the CFowler viruses?
> 
> -Jim P.


-- 
James Sumners
http://james.roomfullofmirrors.com/

"All governments suffer a recurring problem: Power attracts
pathological personalities. It is not that power corrupts but that it
is magnetic to the corruptible. Such people have a tendency to become
drunk on violence, a condition to which they are quickly addicted."

Missionaria Protectiva, Text QIV (decto)
CH:D 59



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