I want to find out if an email addy is live. I can't tell by emailing
it as I get a gazillion spoof bouncers every day so examining them all
isn't practical. I know there's a way of doing this but I can't
remember what it is, anyone ?

BB
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"Big Bill" <bill@kruse.co.uk> asked...
: I want to find out if an email addy is live. I can't tell by emailing
: it as I get a gazillion spoof bouncers every day so examining them
: all isn't practical. I know there's a way of doing this but I can't
: remember what it is, anyone ?

The short answer to the subject question is, "No, not with 100%
effectiveness/accuracy." However...

You can send email requesting a "Read Receipt". Most turn
off delivery of the confirmation though. It requires you to
send an email address to each email address. It ends up as
a kind of double-verification though, because IF you get a
read receipt back, it tends to indicate the person is SPAM
illiterate, and it validates the email address.

IF the destined POP3 server receiving the email runs an
"anonymous email" account (meaning it receives and accepts
ALL email sent to it whether the TO header holds a valid
address or not) then sending any email to the server effectively
validates all email sent to the server. Whether administrators
read such anonymous accounts or not varies depending upon
the organization.

Some folks create spoof websites and may receive emails not
particularly destined for them (whitehouse.org - sorting through
the mess that comes into that one probably ends up as a full
time job for multiple readers).

According to the RFC standards, POP3 servers are "supposed"
to send a reply indicating an account failed to validate and send
the content of the original message back to the sender (FROM
header).

Not all servers follow the recommended standards, and results
may vary.

--
Jim Carlock
Post replies to the group.

On Sun, 03 Dec 2006 17:36:00 GMT, "Jim Carlock" <anonymous@127.0.0.1>
wrote:

>"Big Bill" <bill@kruse.co.uk> asked...
>: I want to find out if an email addy is live. I can't tell by emailing
>: it as I get a gazillion spoof bouncers every day so examining them
>: all isn't practical. I know there's a way of doing this but I can't
>: remember what it is, anyone ?
>
>The short answer to the subject question is, "No, not with 100%
>effectiveness/accuracy." However...
>
>You can send email requesting a "Read Receipt". Most turn
>off delivery of the confirmation though. It requires you to
>send an email address to each email address. It ends up as
>a kind of double-verification though, because IF you get a
>read receipt back, it tends to indicate the person is SPAM
>illiterate, and it validates the email address.
>
>IF the destined POP3 server receiving the email runs an
>"anonymous email" account (meaning it receives and accepts
>ALL email sent to it whether the TO header holds a valid
>address or not) then sending any email to the server effectively
>validates all email sent to the server. Whether administrators
>read such anonymous accounts or not varies depending upon
>the organization.
>
>Some folks create spoof websites and may receive emails not
>particularly destined for them (whitehouse.org - sorting through
>the mess that comes into that one probably ends up as a full
>time job for multiple readers).
>
>According to the RFC standards, POP3 servers are "supposed"
>to send a reply indicating an account failed to validate and send
>the content of the original message back to the sender (FROM
>header).
>
>Not all servers follow the recommended standards, and results
>may vary.

Duly noted, thanks.

BB
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