Anyone know about ISP's spam filtering affecting a web site newsletter?

[xyZed]

If a web site has a weekly newsletter and the content of the
newsletter is how to save money, does anyone know how likely the
newsletter (especially if it had 80,000 subscribers) is to get
filtered out as spam? Not by individual spam utilities so much but
silently, by ISP's so that they just never get received?

I suspect this could be happening to someone. Does anyone know what
you could do to avoid spam filtering like this? The site in question
unfo0rtunately has a topic (money saving and finding the cheapest
products) where you couldn't really avoid typical spam-like phrases
and copy.

Is there anywhere to register a newsletter so that it's considered
legit?

 

[kayodeok]

If a web site has a weekly newsletter and the content of the
newsletter is how to save money, does anyone know how likely the
newsletter (especially if it had 80,000 subscribers) is to get
filtered out as spam? Not by individual spam utilities so much but
silently, by ISP's so that they just never get received?

Did you confuse this group with alt.spam

 

[xyZed]

There is circumstantial evidence that on 25 Apr 2004 16:14:34 GMT,

› Did you confuse this group with alt.spam

I'm not sure if that's a joke (maybe or a serious tip. I'll nip
over and have a look to see what they get up to over at alt.spam. The
question is relevant here though because it's a problem all web
designers may come across when designing web sites incorporating
newsletters.

 

[Lois]

"xyZed" said:
: If a web site has a weekly newsletter and the content of the
: newsletter is how to save money, does anyone know how likely the
: newsletter (especially if it had 80,000 subscribers) is to get
: filtered out as spam? Not by individual spam utilities so much but
: silently, by ISP's so that they just never get received?

It happens, especially but not only with AOL. Some ISP spam filters block
email that looks like it was sent by an automated system. My ISP blocks a
lot of this kind of thing (I don't use AOL), so I have newsletters sent to a
web-based address. Not everyone will want a separate address for
newsletters, though.

: I suspect this could be happening to someone.

Probably a lot more than one someone.

Does anyone know what
: you could do to avoid spam filtering like this? The site in question
: unfo0rtunately has a topic (money saving and finding the cheapest
: products) where you couldn't really avoid typical spam-like phrases
: and copy.

See the links and quotes below my name.

: Is there anywhere to register a newsletter so that it's considered
: legit?

Suggest on your "Thank you for subscribing" page that subscribers white-list
the address you send the newsletter from. If the spam filter is an ISP one,
there may still be individual white lists.

Lois
-----

-- AOL problems --

AOL Problems
http://www.eogn.com/newsletter/aol.htm
"One recent survey found that AOL deletes 25% of all electronic
newsletters!"

Bypass Spam Filters for Newsletter Distribution
http://www.changedetect.com/changedetect/uses/newsletter-bypass-spam-filters.asp
"Recent tests on AOL report that AOL blocks 95% of all newsletters."

-- Possible solutions --

Is AOL Spam Reporting Banning Your Site?
http://www.smartads.info/newsletter/aol-spam-reporting.html
"Because of recent events, my newsletter NO LONGER accepts any submissions
from people using AOL E-mail Accounts."

Dealing with False AOL Spam Reports?
http://ask.slashdot.org/askslashdot/04/03/25/0340228.shtml?tid=111&tid=126
"Through AOL's Postmaster site, it is possible to get in on the spam
'Feedback Loop,' where AOL will send you the spam reports it receives for
mail sent from your servers.....

"If you are sending a lot of email to AOL users, you will want to get in on
their feedback loop ASAP, and also look into getting on AOL's 'whitelist,'
which ensures that your mail will not be silently filtered into the bit
bucket, as long as you keep your mail bounces and spam reports (ahem!) at a
low level."

Bypass Spam Filters for Newsletter Distribution
http://www.changedetect.com/changedetect/uses/newsletter-bypass-spam-filters.asp
"To avoid all of these delivery problems, many newsletter owners now have
chosen to simply publish their online newsletter to their website and then
use ChangeDetect to notify the opt-in subscription base of the update. The
subscribers are sent an email when your newsletter's web page changes. Then
with one click subscribers read the newsletter on your website.

"While ChangeDetect is not completely immune to the "spam" filtering of free
email service providers, the ChangeDetect notification has a much better
chance of making it past the filters."

 

[kayodeok]

There is circumstantial evidence that on 25 Apr 2004 16:14:34


I'm not sure if that's a joke (maybe or a serious tip. I'll
nip over and have a look to see what they get up to over at
alt.spam. The question is relevant here though because it's a
problem all web designers may come across when designing web
sites incorporating newsletters.

I thought you mistakenly posted this to alt.html (it happens) and was
gently pointing this out.

I don't know if alt.spam is any better and I would have thought
alt.www.webmaster is the best group for your question (though it
would probably get lost in the "noise").

Hope this group can help...

Regards

 

[Whitecrest]

Free washing machine help and advice.
www.washerhelp.co.uk

The site is looking good!

 

[xyZed]

There is circumstantial evidence that on Sun, 25 Apr 2004 13:13:36

› In article <[email protected]>,
› xyzed@mymask_xyzed.co.uk says...
› > Free washing machine help and advice.
› > www.washerhelp.co.uk
›
› The site is looking good!

Cheers Do you remember it when I first came here? I owe much of it
to this newsgroup.

Does anyone know if there is a way to find out if a site is
blacklisted for spam so they can appeal and get removed?

 

[Whitecrest]

Cheers Do you remember it when I first came here? I owe much of it
to this newsgroup.

This group is an awesome place for web knowledge.

 

[kayodeok]

Does anyone know if there is a way to find out if a site is
blacklisted for spam so they can appeal and get removed?

Did you google? (http://www.google.com/search?q=blackhole abuse)

You cannot find out if a site is blacklisted but you can find
out if the IP is blacklisted:

http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Internet/Abuse/Spam/Blacklists/

Mail Abuse Prevention System lookup:
http://mail-abuse.org/cgi-bin/lookup

The Spamhaus Block List
http://www.spamhaus.org/sbl/

SpamCop Blocking List
http://www.spamcop.net/bl.shtml

 

[brucie]

in post: <

Cheers Do you remember it when I first came here?
http://groups.google.com/[email protected]

I owe much of it to this newsgroup.

i admire your ability to control such anger

 

[brucie]

in post: <

If a web site has a weekly newsletter and the content of the
newsletter is how to save money, does anyone know how likely the
newsletter (especially if it had 80,000 subscribers) is to get
filtered out as spam?

if its double opt-in you shouldn't have any problems but if you do you
can point out that its double opt-in. with a bit of luck whoever is
blocking you will believe you, much more so if you have evidence of the
opt-in.

Not by individual spam utilities so much but silently, by ISP's so
that they just never get received?

i had an ISP that was so strict with their spam filters the email
addresses you got when you signed up were useless for anything other
than the email they themselves sent.

I suspect this could be happening to someone. Does anyone know what
you could do to avoid spam filtering like this?

you could run around to all the blacklists checking them out but thats
not going to help for ISPs/peoples customizations

Is there anywhere to register a newsletter so that it's considered
legit?

legit by who? to what standard?

 

[Dave Patton]

Does anyone know if there is a way to find out if a site is
blacklisted for spam so they can appeal and get removed?

MailPolice has a website where you can lookup by
domain or IP, and request removal if listed:
http://rhs.mailpolice.com/

 

[xyZed]

There is circumstantial evidence that on Mon, 26 Apr 2004 07:18:22

› legit by who? to what standard?

Just to the standard that it's genuinely opted in for by the
receivers. I suppose the double opt in is the only way to "prove"
legitimacy

 

[xyZed]

There is circumstantial evidence that on Mon, 26 Apr 2004 06:55:19

› in post: <› xyZed <xyzed@mymask_xyzed.co.uk> said:
›
› > Cheers Do you remember it when I first came here?
›
› http://groups.google.com/[email protected]
›
› > I owe much of it to this newsgroup.
›
› i admire your ability to control such anger
›

I thought you might have found the thread where Jukka added me to his
ignore list when I took issue with his sarcastic and dismissive
dealings with me (a newbie)

Those were they days