[ale] Speedfactory now requires mail contents to be readable

Jerald Sheets jsheets at yahoo.com
Wed Dec 28 14:50:13 EST 2005


Like I replied to Greg privately, I seem to remember the  
implementation of this policy, however I don't remember clearly how I  
was alerted, whether via  email or via  a conversation with their  
staff.  I *do* remember questioning  as to whether they were going to  
require my email traffic to pass through their systems for scanning,  
and the answer was "no".

What precipitated my questioning of them escapes me, though.

I guess that's the first thing to go...my memory.

Jerald M. Sheets jr.
Sr. UNIX Systems Administrator
The Weather Channel Interactive
404.293.8762



On Dec 28, 2005, at 2:43 PM, W. Keith Miller wrote:

> Just to make a note, sometimes the zip decompressor scan only goes one
> deep (Mailscanner can be configured this way).  One idea if you must
> send a password protected zip is to bury the password protected one  
> 2 or
> more deep. Yes it is annoying. Of course other alternatives are to
> encrypt the package (ala gpg or PGP) or use a "drop point" .  Just  
> some
> thoughts. I do agree that Speedfactory is doing a bit of CYA .  I only
> wish these policy shifts would get posted so we don't find out about
> them the hard way (ala news feeds)
>
> K
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> runman wrote:
>
>> My ISP is Speedfactory and I chose them primarily because I
>> really wanted just a plain pipe - a static ip that worked, a
>> few email boxes and some disk space for a really small
>> family web site.  Nothing more.  No AOL-isms no Compu-Serve
>> proprietary browser, no Bell South taking me for an
>> expensive ride, nothing else - just a simple IP.
>>
>> Recently I attempted to send a friend an email with a
>> password protected zip file as an attachment.  The file
>> created an error on the mailserver - something about not
>> being able to examine the contents of the attachment.  I
>> called Speedfactory and talked first to a technician who
>> soon referred me to her supervisor (odd as most of the folks
>> who in the past have answered my calls were really
>> knowledgeable).  I was then told that Speedfactory's virus
>> checker choked on any attachment that it could not read.
>> What the h-e-double toothpicks ?????  Why is my ISP suddenly
>> having this requirement to "read my attachments" ???  I am
>> running both Norton AV and AVG (as well as MS Outlook) and
>> *none of them* has a problem with password protected files.
>> I would thought that my programs would be the most likely
>> culprits.
>>
>> While I don't usually password protect my attachments I
>> would certainly like the opportunity to do so if I want/need
>> to do so.  I don't think that this was a requirement when I
>> signed up and I have not been told since then that my ISP is
>> now in the mail-reading business.  Pres. Bush, the NSA, and
>> the Homeland Security bunch I understand, but my ISP ?????
>> (or are they all together now ??)
>>
>> Is anyone else aware of this ?? Any Speedfactory customers
>> out there perfectly happy with this ? ... am I (and possibly
>> Aaron) the only ones upset over this ?  Is this a case of a
>> stupid anti-virus program / stupid ISP or "homeland
>> non-security" gone wild or  am I just being paranoid /
>> expecting too much ???
>>
>> I can understand some idiots who expect an ISP to do what
>> should be the responsibility of the enduser but this is
>> crazy.  All ISP's should know that there are folks who will
>> encrypt mail as well as send stuff in crazy formats.  And
>> Speedfactory should know that they have many customers who
>> want a plain vanilla IP and no interference.  Has their
>> customer base changed or have they been taken over ???
>>
>> I guess if Speedfactory will continue this nonsense I will
>> be building my own mailserver and/or going somewhere else.
>> Somehow I get the feeling that they (Speedfactory) are going
>> downhill much like Mindspring did when they merged with
>> Earthlink.
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>>
>>
>
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