A good challenge/response?

Kyle Babich · 13 Jul 2003, 01:28 AM

Are there any good challenge/response mail services aside from Hushmail (tired of loading the app on 56k), Mailblocks (being run by a sue happy WebTV co-founder), and Bluebottle (just don't like the service)?

kinetic · 13 Jul 2003, 01:56 AM

Is TMDA also a challenge/response system ? Then MailSnare.net has TMDA. From what I have read they seem to work similarly.

mailmaniac · 13 Jul 2003, 05:28 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Kyle Babich
Are there any good challenge/response mail services aside from Hushmail (tired of loading the app on 56k), Mailblocks (being run by a sue happy WebTV co-founder), and Bluebottle (just don't like the service)?

Block All Spam is a very good service that uses the challenge response system. But it is a paid service. (US$ 19.95 a year)

Bluebotte got a lot better recently. It's much faster to receive and send (including the verifications) and has a new IMP version now. Looks excellent.

Kyle Babich · 13 Jul 2003, 09:01 AM

BlockAllSpam looks pretty good. The only thing is they don't offer a trial and I can't see a screenshot of the "simple" interface for non-IE users. It almost reminds me of oddpost. Aside from that their c/r is just a reply. The way I see it what's stopping the spammers in six months from automatically replying to these authentication messages? There are better ways to do c/r.

mailmaniac · 13 Jul 2003, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Kyle Babich
BlockAllSpam looks pretty good. The only thing is they don't offer a trial and I can't see a screenshot of the "simple" interface for non-IE users. It almost reminds me of oddpost...

The Professional Interface works with Netscape too, and is pretty good. I could use the IE 6.0 interface, but it is slower to load. So I use either the simple one or the professional one. Do you want me to send you a screenshot?

Kyle Babich · 13 Jul 2003, 10:22 AM

Sure, why not?
You can send it to nospambots@kyle.sent.com.

Thank you!

mailmaniac · 13 Jul 2003, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Kyle Babich
Sure, why not?
You can send it to nospambots@kyle.sent.com.

Thank you!

Just sent!

oysterquartz · 22 Jul 2003, 12:05 PM

There are using Calacode's @mail interface. Nothing special to BlockAllSpam there as many free webmail providers use it as well ....

Calacode is an Australian company by the way ... neighbours of FM ??

mlibbey · 24 Jul 2003, 12:55 AM

IMHO, ther is no such thing as a good challenge response system. The challenge reponse strategy is punitive -- the recipinet passes on his spam problem to everyone else on the internet. I have already heard numerous complaints of systems getting blocked or worse because their challenge response messages effectively dictionary attack joe-jobbed domains.

There is no need to run a challenge response system. You can easily filter non-address book mail to separate folders and mannually scan through them without affecting the entire mail system.

BTW, at least one of the challenge response companies has spammed every single person that has ever sent them mail to gain sign ups. So, if you do choose challenge response, you should very carefully read the terms of service.

mailmaniac · 24 Jul 2003, 01:08 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mlibbey

There is no need to run a challenge response system. You can easily filter non-address book mail to separate folders and mannually scan through them without affecting the entire mail system.

www.web.de works exactly this way. They have two additional folders now: Unknown and Unsolicited. They send you weekly or daily reports about all messages that came into these folders, so that you can check, delete or move them to other folders.

Anyway, I also use challenge-response systems and they all work very well and in a responsible way: Bluebottle, Mailblocks and Block All Spam.

13 Jul 2003, 01:28 AM	#1
Kyle Babich Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: NJ, USA Posts: 540	A good challenge/response? Are there any good challenge/response mail services aside from Hushmail (tired of loading the app on 56k), Mailblocks (being run by a sue happy WebTV co-founder), and Bluebottle (just don't like the service)?

13 Jul 2003, 09:01 AM	#4
Kyle Babich Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: NJ, USA Posts: 540	BlockAllSpam looks pretty good. The only thing is they don't offer a trial and I can't see a screenshot of the "simple" interface for non-IE users. It almost reminds me of oddpost. Aside from that their c/r is just a reply. The way I see it what's stopping the spammers in six months from automatically replying to these authentication messages? There are better ways to do c/r. Last edited by Kyle Babich : 13 Jul 2003 at 09:06 AM.

24 Jul 2003, 12:55 AM	#9
mlibbey Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: SF bay area Posts: 171	good challenge response == oxymoron IMHO, ther is no such thing as a good challenge response system. The challenge reponse strategy is punitive -- the recipinet passes on his spam problem to everyone else on the internet. I have already heard numerous complaints of systems getting blocked or worse because their challenge response messages effectively dictionary attack joe-jobbed domains. There is no need to run a challenge response system. You can easily filter non-address book mail to separate folders and mannually scan through them without affecting the entire mail system. BTW, at least one of the challenge response companies has spammed every single person that has ever sent them mail to gain sign ups. So, if you do choose challenge response, you should very carefully read the terms of service.

13 Jul 2003, 01:56 AM	#2
kinetic Essential Contributor Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: India Posts: 422	Is TMDA also a challenge/response system ? Then MailSnare.net has TMDA. From what I have read they seem to work similarly.

13 Jul 2003, 10:22 AM	#6
Kyle Babich Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: NJ, USA Posts: 540	Sure, why not? You can send it to nospambots@kyle.sent.com. Thank you!

22 Jul 2003, 12:05 PM	#8
oysterquartz The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Athens Posts: 2,402	There are using Calacode's @mail interface. Nothing special to BlockAllSpam there as many free webmail providers use it as well .... Calacode is an Australian company by the way ... neighbours of FM ??