[ih] Update on filtered list posts

[Grant Taylor]

On 9/15/20 12:16 PM, the keyboard of geoff goodfellow via 
Internet-history wrote:
> yours truly posits that the ISOC mail list PTB's have inserted an 
> “inappropriate” filter (double entendre on purpose :D) Postfix 
> before-queue Milter [http://www.postfix.org/MILTER_README.html] 
> before it "delivers"/"hands over" the goods (i.e. message) to the 
> Mailman Mailing List Manager.

Agreed.  Post-SMTP and Pre-Mailman.

> how this is an apparent batting out-of-order:
> 
> the ISOC Mailman Mailing List Manager is most likely configured so 
> as to ONLY accept messages for distribution to IH from extant list 
> members, therefore preventing any (errant/non-list registered email 
> address) submissions to internet-history at elists.isoc.org from being 
> "accepted" and processed.

Are such errant / non-list posts rejected during the incoming SMTP 
transaction -or- are they bounced after the fact?

> if the ordering were such that the Mailman Mailing List Manager 
> address validation took place before The Forbidden Words Filter 
> did it's thing, THEN a better (and more "correct") Forbidden Words 
> Filtering could take place after sender address validation.

Maybe.  Maybe not.  It is highly dependent on what "sender address 
validation" means and how reliable it is.

> then, if The Forbidden Words Filter detected A Forbidden Word, 
> it could then instigate a "reply" message to the already 
> authenticated/permitted/allowed "sender" notifying him/her to 
> the effect their message contained A Forbidden Word and was not 
> redistributed to the IH list.

"authentication" of the purported sender address is a very sticky wicket 
in this context.  Determining if the purported sending address is 
"permitted" or "allowed" to post to the list are a LOT easier to determine.

I have LONG wanted a Mailman milter that would allow more of Mailman's 
functionality to be integrated during the SMTP transaction.

1)  Is the purported sender (SMTP MAIL FROM:..) allowed to post to the 
mailing list in question (SMTP RCPT TO:...).
2)  Apply various sanity checks after the message has been sent (after 
the closing <CR><LF><.><CR><LF> at the end of the SMTP DATA) to the 
mailing list or not.
3)  REJECT the message /during/ the SMTP transaction /if/ Mailman's 
normal filters would reject the message.



-- 
Grant. . . .
unix || die