Python fails Postel’s Law parsing email messages, with a workaround
The next-generation email parser in Python silently ignores data it doesn’t understand, sometimes to the detriment of the caller.
Category Archives: email
Rambling about hacking on my creaky old email archival infrastructure
What started out as a simple message archiving task turned into many hours of debugging, fixing, and cleaning up the old archives. Both frustrating and fun at the same time.
Python 3 port of open source email guardian TMDA (Tagged Message Delivery Agent)
I ported TMDA from Python 2 to Python 3 so I could keep using it on my mail server. Turns out somebody already did that, but here’s my port anyway in case it’s useful to someone.
Two examples of why the CDC is the Keystone Kops of disease control
I want to give two examples, one medical and one technological, of the kind of buffoonery that the CDC is engaging in that continues to make them untrustworthy as a disease-control organization. Medical buffoonery Here are some things that COVID-19 research and recently collected epidemiological data are telling us at the moment: Here is what… Read More: Two examples of why the CDC is the Keystone Kops… »
Why you should not use RegScale
Companies that engage in slimy marketing practices tend to be slimy companies. RegScale fits that description, so you should avoid doing business with them.
How to protect your anonymity online when the services you use could be breached
Twitter is in the news again with another security breach in which 235 million users’ email addresses, phone numbers, and Twitter handles were exposed. These seems like a good opportunity to talk about what you can / should do to protect yourself if you need to maintain anonymity online. The basic rule is this: if… Read More: How to protect your anonymity online when the services you… »
Taking your contacts with you when you switch jobs, without stealing from your former employer
I’ve worked almost entirely for startups for the past 30+ years. It’s what I love, but switching jobs a lot comes with the territory. One of the problems I face with each switch is how to take with me outside contacts I’ve made, without compromising my soon-to-be-ex-employer’s intellectual property. Sure, I’ve added some of them… Read More: Taking your contacts with you when you switch jobs, without… »
Adding malicious IPs in DNSBLs to iptables automatically
[This is an updated version of Adding malicious IPs in DNSBLs to hosts.deny automatically which uses iptables instead of tcpwrappers, since tcpwrappers has been deprecated.] I run my own mail server, which means that there are hackers trying 24×7 to break into the server by connecting to my SMTP or IMAP server and trying to guess… Read More: Adding malicious IPs in DNSBLs to iptables automatically »
Generic reply to unsolicited vendor sales emails
Dear sales representative who wants me to buy your company’s products, If I’ve emailed you a link to this blog posting, it’s probably because you’ve sent me multiple unsolicited sales emails. Welcome to the club of vendors from whom I’m unlikely to ever purchase anything! No unsolicited sales email I have ever received from a… Read More: Generic reply to unsolicited vendor sales emails »
Wow, AT&T Fiber, this is a ridiculously bad sales email
Because I’m senior enough to have “spending authority,” an unfortunate fact of life for me at work is that I get a lot of cold sales emails. Most of them I just delete or report as spam, but occasionally I get one that is so ridiculously bad or offensive that I feel I must address… Read More: Wow, AT&T Fiber, this is a ridiculously bad sales email »