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new gtlds Spam in new extensions

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Kate

Domainosaurus RexTop Member
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Hello,

Consider the following (real) scenario.
I have a client running a Postfix server. The distro is a bit old, so there are some packages like Spamassassin or Amavis that are not up to date to the latest version. The server cannot be upgraded until there is a complete and documented overview of the active processes running on it.
Recently one of their (publicized) mailboxes has been getting a lot of spam (>100/day).

How do I keep the customer happy ? Fast and easy remedy: I block new extensions like .bid .top .trade on the mail server and cut the crap by 90% at least.
There is nothing to lose here, and everything to gain. Because there is not one single party they are dealing with, like suppliers etc using any of those TLDs. And the customer doesn't do business with China or whatever, so again they don't expect mail from a .top address for example.
So we block the worst offenders like .bid, .trade, .stream. Result: spam is curtailed instantly while saving server resources.

Let's be fair: it's not necessarily the fault of new extensions if spammers are abusing them.
Unless:
  • the domains are priced very cheap, so that they are attractive to spammers who will buy lots of them, and constantly rotate them
  • the registries turn a blind eye on spam (hint: some registries have engaged in spamming)
The bottom line is that the client (or me for that matter) never gets legitimate mail from new extension, only crap. So that means the only end users for those extensions are spammers. Therefore the TLDs have failed to find a legitimate market and their raison d'être must be called into question.
I think registries must shoulder the blame here. It's their fault if those TLDs continue to be abused and have a bad reputation.

And if you don't agree with this assessment, there are plenty of sysadmins who will disagree and block them anyway, because it makes their job easier and there is almost zero chance of blocking a legitimate contact (who can be whitelisted if need be).
However, it is a small number of extensions that causes a lot of trouble. But there is risk that sysadmins will not bother and throw them all in the same basket.

Do I feel bad ? No. This is a simple business decision, adapted to the present circumstances. Even though I don't like the principle. But again, who is hurt.

PS: this is a temporary fix
PS2: but anybody who works in IT knows that temporary solutions tend to become permanent
 
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The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of NamePros.
keep up the goodwoork :D
 
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takeaway - nothing to lose by blocking all these crap TLDs because no real company that your client interacts with is using a new TLD for their business
 
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takeaway: another reason an enduser takes a big risk by using a new extension, in addition to the risk of being held hostage by huge renewal fees.
 
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A few TLDs are obviously problematic. So I went for the surgical approach and only blocked a few (less than 10), based on the log stats. While many if not most TLDs are ordinary and not causing disproportionate trouble, some are clearly rotten and will probably never recover from their bad reputation (even today .info/.biz are still deemed spam extensions because of past abuse).
Choose your nTLD wisely and think twice if you intend to use it for mail service.
This is not a rant, just a real-life account. I will assess the situation next Monday.
 
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Hello,
How do I keep the customer happy ? Fast and easy remedy: I block new extensions like .bid .top .trade on the mail server and cut the crap by 90% at least.

PS2: but anybody who works in IT knows that temporary solutions tend to become permanent

I've done the same. I'll be outsourcing all email services next year. It's so inexpensive now, it doesn't make sense to spend time on it.

FYI: Anyone considering outsourcing email, Don't use OpenSRS. Apology emails are worthless.
 
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Client happy. Not one single spam today.
 
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Feedback from client: "it's perfect now !"
 
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