Forum PM emails not getting through

[CeeBee]

I've recently noticed that I haven't been getting the email alert when someone sends me a PM (it's an option in the profile somewhere). I know I used to get them until fairly recently.

I've tracked down the problem (stop reading here is not interested in techy bits of email!): the automatic alerts claim to come from the solarwind.org.uk domain (i.e. Martin's email address). That domain is publishing SPF records in the DNS, which list internet addresses from which email from solarwind is 'supposed' to originate. The assumption is that if email purporting to come from solarwind originates from other addresses, then it's probably spam. Evidently the Navitron web server, which sends the automatic PM alerts, isn't in the list. I've configured my own mail server to respect other people's SPF records, hence in this case to honour solarwind's 'instructions' to discard these emails.

So if anyone else isn't getting these either, this might be why. The solarwind SPF records must have either changed recently, or only recently been introduced. I suppose I might be able to create an exception in the rules at my mail server, but really, either the 'sender' of the PM alerts needs to be an email address which the Navitron web server is allowed to send email for, or else the Navitron web server should be on solarwind's SPF list.

[martin]

I shall investigate - my own server company has recently updated the servers on which my own sites and mail servers are situated - I most certainly would not voluntarily implement SPF in any shape or form, as in my opinion, it is of the very devil, and most definitely best avoided (it's another one of those "it'll work if the whole world joins in" idiocies, based on some pretty faulty reasoning!)
It may be something to do with the forum hosting, over which I have no control - whichever, message received, will act!

[martin]

Some galloping eejit had set SPF as "default" in my control panel - now firmly disabled...........

[CeeBee]

Righty-ho, thanks! Will see if the SPF record disappears out of the DNS in due course (and I've added you to the whitelist anyway just in case).

I appreciate that SPF has its problems, but it blocks quite a bit of spam at my server, and in publishing my own records, then hopefully some other people might block spam when the b*stard spammers decide to use my email address as the supposed sender of their junk. I use my own server to send email wherever I am, so no reason I should ever send via any other machine. But it's not for everyone, and indeed sometimes causes a problem just like this one :-)

[martin]

http://david.woodhou.se/why-not-spf.html

[Ivan]

I seem to remember we tried this SPF thingy - caused nothing but problems - wiped out about 30% of our relevant email traffic.

[martin]

much beloved of none-too-bright systems wallahs!

[CeeBee]

much beloved of none-too-bright systems wallahs!

I take it it's me that you're gratuitously insulting? Not that I'd for a minute call myself a systems wallah - never saw doing that as any more than an occasional diversion from proper work.

[fje-iptelenet]

In no way am I intending to start world war III here......................but,
SPF has its place in fighting spam. An SPF record at the DNS server(s) matches an IP address to an MX record(s) of an sending MTA. That is all it does, and does so very effectively. What the receiving MTA (mail transfer agent) actually does with regards to an SPF fail or pass is up to the administrator of the receiving MTA. How long is piece of string you might say...........well I don't known.
Kind regards,
Franz.

[martin]

"systems wallahs" was an in-joke between Ivan and myself-  apologies if you felt tarred by the same brush.........
All I can say about SPF is that like Ivan, in practice, I find it's just a pain in the bum, causes "dropped" emails right left and centre, and an awful lot of bounced "error" messages - I'd go along with this bloke
http://david.woodhou.se/why-not-spf.html - who gives chapter and verse why it's a heap of poo!
(SPF doesn't do what it says on the tin!)