[SpamCop-List] Re: Head 'em off at the Headers

[rodxpam (fish)]

Hi Ric;

     "Why bother"

     It is an academic excercise intended to compile comparative stats and
gather directly observed results over time, for a specific application; to
whit: one that denies misconfigured/spoofed headers,  *if* such a program
exists.

     You inform me that: "...most MTAs let you scan just the headers, but
you still can't
do anything until the end of the message." This suggest to me an operator
would have to manually deny email appearing to, "most MTAs". To my mind,
this would amount to the same thing as deleting email which the operator
observes to have header anamolies. l rather expected that to be the case;
but I am fishing for a program that behaves like a proxy, perhaps even
bouncing email with misconfigured headers. From a user's observation point,
such an app would appear to operate, (theoretically)  in a way similar to
anti-virus POP3 preview of email, with the added function of returning email
which has a rDNS that works, and deleting email which can't be returned. (Is
there really a need for me to rehearse the practical problems with these, I
think we all understand there are quite a few)

     I knew this was a longshot when I asked the question. I just want to
make sure such an app doesn't exist before I rule out the possibility.

      A point which I ponder from time to time is; if correctly configured
headers were made a prerequisite before an ISP would hand off an email,  and
therefore made the responsibility of anyone wishing to send email, would the
advantages outweigh the disadvantages? I'm not inviting discussion of this
here, just letting you know what is behind my willingness to "bother".

Happy trails,

rodxpam