[Reader-list] Re: Reader-list digest, Vol 1 #156 - 6 msgs

[Menso Heus]

On Sat, Sep 01, 2001 at 10:39:17AM +0200, Supreet wrote:
> On Sat, Sep 01, 2001 at 07:22:59AM +0100, Jyotirmoy Chaudhuri wrote:
> >  Sagnik,
> > Please do not use attachments. Use inline texts. I got
> You cannot enforce any rule on type msgs to be send or not. 

You mean with the current mailsystem you are using? Piping it 
all through procmail before sending it to all receipients 
again will allow you to strip all attachments and set additional
headers (such as a Reply-To:)
The question is what list policy on this is: are extended mail 
formats such as HTML and RTF allowed? Does the list administrator
allow for attachments that are in a binary and/or proprietary 
format? etc. 
It might be nice to get a clear policy on this and install 
appropriate filters: this is not the first time this discussion 
is being held. 

> Usually attachments are checked for viruses by SMTP servers. 

I believe it's usually on the POP server, else the people in 
your company still receive the virusses and you don't want that.
Lately there has been a lot of discussion about this in Holland
after yet another virus outbreak (Sir Cam it was I believe). 

According to Dutch Law email falls under 'briefgeheim' which means 
that nobody is allowed to 'open' your email just like nobody is 
allowed to open the traditional mail you might send. 
Since email is more like a postcard then a letter (it's missing the 
envelope, PGP is a pretty a good one) it doesn't really seem to 
make that much sense. 

The general attitude of the company I work for and 99% of the other 
ISP's in the country was that, although it's a nice idea, it's not 
our job. If someone sends you a deaththreat or explosive through 
tradittional mail you can't sue the mail company for that either. 

> You could also use such a tool, if your computer is particularly 
> prone to viruses.

Indeed, virus scanning should be done on the client side imho. 

> Even if a mail contains a virus, That cannot get executed by itself. If it
> does you are definately using Outlook* and you should change over to
> something more sane that.

Now *that* is taking the easy way out instead of addressing the issue 
of attachments to the list :)

Menso

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