From usenet-tag@qz.little-neck.ny.us Mon Jan 20 03:18:56 1997 Path: fu-berlin.de!news.mathworks.com!EU.net!uknet!usenet1.news.uk.psi.net!uknet!psinntp!psinntp!news.columbia.edu!news.new-york.net!news1.netusa.net!alpha.NetUSA.Net!not-for-mail From: Eli the Bearded Newsgroups: comp.mail.misc,alt.fan.e-t-b Subject: get envelope addresses in mail headers? Date: 12 Jan 1997 14:58:51 -0500 Organization: Some absurd concept Lines: 23 Sender: eli@alpha.NetUSA.Net Message-ID: <5bbfpr$48t@alpha.NetUSA.Net> NNTP-Posting-Host: alpha.netusa.net X-From-Notes: This is sent from a valid but taged return address. Failure to include an "Re:" in the subject may cause reply mail to bounce. X-US-Congress: Moronic Fucks. X-get-a-newsreader: X-Acceptable-Email-Policy: for rules about sending mail to this account see: -- plain text; -- html format; or -- autoresponse The envelope address of a piece of email is the one specified with RCPT in SMTP. When the contents of the mail specify a To: line (and perhaps some other magic headers) MTA's don't bother to put the RCPT address in. If the mail doesn't have it, it goes in as an "Apparently-To:". How much trouble would it be to have an MTA put "Apperntly-To:"s in all mail? One great use for this is foiling address harvesting spam. I have presently configured procmail to fileaway seperately all mail sent to the "usenet-tag@qz" address into a special file IF the subject line doesn't start with "Re: " which will foil spammers who leave the address in the mail headers. When they "suppress" it, it will still get past procmail. If I could always have the address in the headers, I could make a more sophisticated recipie that blocks mail to usenet+foobar@qz unless the word "foobar" appeared in the subject, for both spam resistant mail delievery and tracking of where harvesters are working. Elijah ------ thinks it rude to post with an invalid email address