Email :blackhole: or :fail:
(Sorry if this is the wrong forum category)
Is there any reason to choose :blackhole: over :fail: no such address here for my "default" address? Perhaps the word "default" isn't correct but I mean the email address that all non-existant email addresses on my domain are sent to. Right now, if somebody sends an email to [email protected], it goes to :blackhole: and vanishes forever. If I choose :fail: then I still won't get misdirected emails but the sender will get an automated bounceback message informing them of failure.
Will an automated bounceback tell spammers that the email is invalid and possibly lead towards them to remove the errant address from their list? Or may this cause some spammers to increase spam to my domain, now that they know that the domain is valid?
mairving posted this at 16:08 — 21st January 2004.
They have: 2,256 posts
Joined: Feb 2001
Spammers don't put a lot of time into removing invalid email addresses, so no sending them a bounceback message will not get them to remove you from the list in most cases. I don't think that it will increase or decrease spam knowing that the domain is valid. It seems that most spammers use lists gleaned from websites and whois searches rather than randomly guessing valid domains.
Mark Irving
I have a mind like a steel trap; it is rusty and illegal in 47 states
Suzanne posted this at 16:25 — 21st January 2004.
She has: 5,507 posts
Joined: Feb 2000
One big thing is that the :blackhole: will seriously reduce your unwanted email! But the bad thing is, if someone makes an error in the email name that's real, you won't get it.
The :fail: option alerts them that there is a problem, for bonafide senders.
Busy posted this at 21:53 — 21st January 2004.
He has: 6,151 posts
Joined: May 2001
also many spammers fake the headers, so your bounceback may be to some innocent person (could even be yourself)
I have mine set up with set names, and anything else gets sent to black_hole but all my emails must come via a form, otherwise it's spammed or guessed and is probably junk anyways. bouncing also can add to you bandwidth.
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