No junk in the mailbox

MANY OF the e-groups on the Internet are buzzing with postings about VSNL's new ``anti-spam'' restrictions.

Is it the end of the freedom to simply click ``send'', or is it just some fine tuning by the giant ISP to keep unsolicited mail out of your inbox?

For starters, VSNL has made it clear that those who use its account to send and receive mails, as well as those operating on Hotmail, Indiatimes, Rediff, Yahoo! and the like, have nothing to worry about.

So what is the tweaking all about? VSNL says as a first step, it is blocking all outgoing mail from its servers, which do not have a VSNL e-mail ID, but this will not affect the dial-up users. This is intended to check Internet leased line/dial up customers who ``unduly use'' VSNL's server to relay mails.

Getting a little technical, VSNL says those who have its dial up access but use third party e-mail IDs would have to use third party mail services. These third parties provide http/smtp facilities.

Those who use VSNL's dial-up and leased lines for Internet access, but use third party solution providers would have to ask them to provide mail facility. They would have to insist on http/smtp facility from these service providers, or can subscribe to the VSNL's newly launched V mail service to send mail.

All the action is actually about misuse of its servers by those who have third party mail solutions, VSNL asserts. So is it really goodbye to spam?

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