NWC | Letters | Letters | | October 10, 2002

NEWS BLOGS FORUMS NEWSLETTERS RESEARCH EVENTS DIGITAL LIBRARY CAREERS

IMMERSE YOURSELF:

Storage & Servers

October 10, 2002

TOC Issue TOC

Printer Print full article

E-Mail E-Mail this URL

Flame the author

"Instead of trying to detect spam and filter it, why can't we enhance e-mail protocols to prevent it?"

Robert E. Spivack

Patch Aversion
I agree with Lori MacVittie's BuzzCut "Patches Shouldn't Be our Problem", but she didn't even mention that many of my colleagues (and probably hers, too) will wait until release X.1 or X.2 to install new software because of the myriad bugs and patches released with any new version of software.

Joseph Coffman
IT Manager
Hermance Machine Co.
jcoffman@hermance.com

Dark Horses
In all the articles on antispam, including Ron Anderson's "The Anti-Spam Cookbook" (Sept. 15, 2002), the only commercial programs I see mentioned are the few big names. Other vendors are out there, some with incredible products that are selling well and used by many admins and small ISP/hosting companies, but they don't have the brand names or ad budgets to "get the word out."

For instance, Declude is an add-on to the widely used Ipswitch IMail e-mail server. It's very flexible, uses blacklists and performs many checks against the structure of an e-mail header that go beyond reverse DNS checking and forged-address detection. It's also inexpensive--less than $500 for a server license. The author runs an active support mailing list and releases updates every few weeks with major revisions every few months.

IMGate.MEIway.com is an open-source mail gateway. Its configuration of *nix tools can be deployed in front of any existing mail server. It's effective--and free.

I'd also like to point out that all of today's solutions are Band-Aids for the problem. Where is Vint Cerf and the rest of the Internet gang? As far as I can tell, the POP3, IMAP4 and SMTP protocols for Internet e-mail haven't changed in 10 years. Isn't it time the Internet collective applies a proactive solution to spam? Instead of trying to detect spam and filter it, why can't we enhance e-mail protocols to prevent it? Sure, it will take some time, and both servers and client software will have to implement the new standards, but in a reasonable period the problem can be controlled.

With e-mail as the No. 1 application on the Internet and spam the No. 1 problem, this is a both a huge technological challenge and a real commercial opportunity.

Robert E. Spivack
Vice President, Sales & Marketing
SPIV Technologies Group
spiv_nospam@spivtech.com

Is SUS for Us?
Shortly after reading Patrick Mueller's excellent article "PatchLink Helps Keep Windows Closed" (Sept. 2, 2002), I ran across the Microsoft Software Update Services tool, which appears to be free and has very similar functionality to the products reviewed in the article. It handles only Windows 2000 and XP, and updates only Windows Critical Updates, Windows Critical Security Updates and Windows Security Roll-ups.

Has Mueller used SUS? If so, does he see any advantages or disadvantages in comparison with PatchLink?

Scott Bue, BBA, MCSE
I.S. Manager
Ridgecrest Regional Hospital
s.bue@rrh.org

Patrick Mueller responds: Unfortunately, SUS was released well after we finished testing for the article. The jury of public opinion is still out on its effectiveness, but as you noted, there are serious limitations relative to the commercial products we tested.

More MoMs
Thank you for Bruce Boardman's informative article on MoMs ("Hot MoMs!" Aug. 5, 2002). Did Boardman consider offerings from IBM/Tivoli, Computer Associates and Candle, or did he think they don't compete in this space?

Jack Krehel
Manager, Systems Management
The Vanguard Group
jack_krehel@vanguard.com

Bruce Boardman responds: While those offerings compete, I haven't seen the same level of innovation in them, and given the size of the products, I wanted to focus my resources on those that were breaking new ground.

Sniffing Out Sweatshops
Regarding Jonathan Feldman's column "IT Burnout or Office Space Case?" (June 10, 2002), I believe you have to take the time to evaluate a prospective employer and make sure the company isn't a sweatshop. Here are some ideas:

If you know someone on the inside, ask that person for an honest evaluation of unwritten company policies (unpaid overtime, 60-hour weeks, no time off, no bonuses, lower than average raises). Do not ask a headhunter's opinion--he or she is likely to be biased. You also have to ask the right questions:

1. Does the company pay overtime? "No" means the company might be a sweatshop. "Yes" means you'll most likely be working overtime, but at least you'll get paid for it. Now ask how many hours on average you'll be expected to work per week--then double it. (Be realistic; you work in IT.)

2. Does the company provide certified training (the real stuff, not internal training)? "No" means you'll pretty much be on your own. "Yes" is a good sign; it means the company is ready to invest in you. Ask for, in writing, specific courses required.

3. How many years did the person you'd be replacing stay with the company?

Any employer not forthcoming with answers to these questions is hiding something. Look elsewhere. Also, ask to walk around the premises and pay attention to the speed at which people speak, the noise level and whether people look happy and smile easily.

Michel Guay
Network Specialist
Novartis Pharma Canada
michelpguay@sympatico.ca

Tell us how you really feel. Write to us at editor@nwc.com. Include your name, title, company name, e-mail address and phone number. All correspondence becomes the property of Network Computing.