We are getting bounces from [log in to unmask] probably due to
incompetence of his ISP at cbn.net.id

Just so people understand how I know this...

...and to try to learn how to better handle this problem which has really
disrupted our list in the past...

The email headers for one of the bounces contains the section reproduced
below. There are two important things to notice.

First, the email passes through MITVMA.MIT.EDU twice. In my experience, this
is a dead giveaway that the email is a bounce. The bounce detector and
eliminator used by
http://www.piclist.com/techref/postbot.asp
looks for exactly that. I've suggested to lsoft that they also look for
that, but they are a busy lot I guess or maybe there is some reason why that
won't work for them.

Second, the first time (read from the bottom up) that is passes
MITVMA.MIT.EDU, it heads off to the ISP at memphis.cbn.net.id and they
report delivering it to [log in to unmask] If it comes back
to the list again with that first part of the header still attached, it was
after this persons machine (or their ISPs machine) touched it so that is the
root of the problem.

Now, what is "interesting" is that [log in to unmask] isn't
(hasn't been) subscribed to the list! Neat huh? But the list server has a
totally cool feature that allows one to scan for any part of an email
address or name. So scanning for indesso comes up with
[log in to unmask] who IS (was) subscribed.

What I would like to have is a script that parses the headers of any message
that is detected by the postbot as being a bounce and tries to figure out
who the subscriber is that caused the bounce. So they can be automatically
deleted rather than waiting until a human is available to do the detective
work and drop them. This one was fairly easy due to the memphis.cbn.net.id
machine adding the (not required) comment about who it delivered it to.
There is apparently an immense amount of variability in the layout of email
headers.

If anyone out there with lots of email ISP experience (I have VERY LITTLE)
knows more about this sort of thing, please comment.



Received: from MITVMA.MIT.EDU by MITVMA.MIT.EDU (LISTSERV-TCP/IP release
1.8d)
          with spool id 8739 for [log in to unmask]; Tue, 27 Mar 2001
          04:48:43 -0500
Received: from MITVMA (NJE origin SMTP@MITVMA) by MITVMA.MIT.EDU (LMail
          V1.2c/1.8c) with BSMTP id 1059; Tue, 27 Mar 2001 04:48:03 -0500
Received: from smtp3.cbn.net.id [202.158.2.53] by mitvma.mit.edu (IBM VM
SMTP
          Level 320) via TCP with SMTP ; Tue, 27 Mar 2001 04:47:58 EST
X-Comment: mitvma.mit.edu: Mail was sent by smtp3.cbn.net.id
Received: from indesso.co.id (unknown [202.158.57.39]) by smtp3.cbn.net.id
          (Postfix) with ESMTP id 3D78D5371C for <[log in to unmask]>;
Tue,
          27 Mar 2001 16:48:47 +0700 (JAVT)
Received: from jktm [200.80.80.201] by indesso.co.id [200.80.80.201] with
SMTP
          (MDaemon.v3.0.4.R) for <[log in to unmask]>; Tue, 27 Mar 2001
          16:45:10 +0700
Received: FROM indesso.com BY jktm ; Tue Mar 27 16:45:08 2001 +0700
Received: from Pending... [200.80.80.202] by indesso.com [] with DomainPOP
          (MDaemon.v3.0.4.R) for <[log in to unmask]>; Tue, 27 Mar 2001
          16:43:01 +0700
Delivered-To: [log in to unmask]
Received: (qmail 11772 invoked from network); 27 Mar 2001 15:16:09 +0700
Received: from unknown (HELO cherry.ease.lsoft.com) (209.119.0.109) by
          memphis.cbn.net.id with SMTP; 27 Mar 2001 15:16:09 +0700
Received: from PEAR.EASE.LSOFT.COM (209.119.0.19) by cherry.ease.lsoft.com
          (LSMTP for Digital Unix v1.1b) with SMTP id
          <[log in to unmask]>; Tue, 27 Mar 2001 3:14:45 -0500
Received: from MITVMA.MIT.EDU by MITVMA.MIT.EDU (LISTSERV-TCP/IP release
1.8d)
          with spool id 5099 for [log in to unmask]; Tue, 27 Mar 2001
          03:12:51 -0500
Received: from MITVMA (NJE origin SMTP@MITVMA) by MITVMA.MIT.EDU (LMail
          V1.2c/1.8c) with BSMTP id 5271; Tue, 27 Mar 2001 03:12:45 -0500

---
James Newton (PICList Admin #3)
mailto:[log in to unmask] 1-619-652-0593
PIC/PICList FAQ: http://www.piclist.com or .org