HostGator Officially suggesting default WordPress is a spamming software

  • Hello Sir,

    I am facing a real problem with HostGator.

    Their support is suggesting that Default Installation of WordPress is a spamming software.

    On Jul 8, 2008 here is what HostGator is warning me about,

    Reference: Monitor
    Server: amigo
    Created: Thu May 15 13:24:10 2008
    Domain: askvg.com
    User: xxxx

    Owner: xxxx
    Email: [email protected]

    Hello,

    We have received a complaint from our upstream providers of messages being sent from your server being marked as spam. Our Zero Tolerance Spam Policy must be followed by all servers on our network, including dedicated. As such, we require that you review the email, contact the responsible client, and update this ticket within next 24 hours. If this is a legitimate mailing, please provide the opt-in information for the message and be prepared to provide further opt-in information for the other complaints.

    If you have any questions or issues, please let us know.

    From AskVG.com – Tweaking with my_user_name Thu Jul 3 12:04:02 2008

    X-Apparently-To: [email protected] via 216.252.110.209; Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:04:17 -0700

    Return-Path: <[email protected]>

    X-Originating-IP: [67.18.55.5]

    Authentication-Results: mta196.mail.re3.yahoo.com from=AskVG.com; domainkeys=neutral (no sig)

    Received: from 67.18.55.5 (HELO gateway04.websitewelcome.com) (67.18.55.5)

    by mta196.mail.re3.yahoo.com with SMTP; Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:04:13 -0700

    Received: (qmail 30529 invoked from network); 3 Jul 2008 19:10:00 -0000
    Received: from amigo.websitewelcome.com (74.54.136.178)

    by gateway04.websitewelcome.com with SMTP; 3 Jul 2008 19:10:00 -0000

    Received: from my_user_name by amigo.websitewelcome.com with local (Exim 4.68)

    (envelope-from <[email protected]>)

    id 1KEU66-00086O-OD

    for [email protected]; Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:04:02 -0500
    To: [email protected]

    Subject: [Tweaking with my_user_name] New Comment On: Is Your System Infected with a Virus / Spyware / Adware / Trojan?

    Date: Thu, 3 Jul 2008 14:04:02 -0500

    From: “AskVG.com – Tweaking with my_user_name” <[email protected]>

    Message-ID: <[email protected]>

    X-Priority: 3

    MIME-Version: 1.0
    MIME-Version: 1.0

    Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
    Content-Type: text/plain; charset=”UTF-8″

    X-AntiAbuse: This header was added to track abuse, please include it with any abuse report
    X-AntiAbuse: Primary Hostname – amigo.websitewelcome.com
    X-AntiAbuse: Original Domain – yahoo.com
    X-AntiAbuse: Originator/Caller UID/GID – [33361 33364] / [47 12]
    X-AntiAbuse: Sender Address Domain – amigo.websitewelcome.com

    Content-Length: 570

    MIME element (text/plain)

    There is a new comment on the post “Is Your System Infected with a Virus / Spyware / Adware / Trojan?”.

    https://www.askvg.com/is-your-system-infected-with-a-virus-spyware-adware-trojan/

    Author: audmoon

    Comment:

    Thank u VG ??

    See all comments on this post here:

    https://www.askvg.com/is-your-system-infected-with-a-virus-spyware-adware-trojan/#comments

    To manage your subscriptions or to block all notifications from this site, click the link below:

    https://www.askvg.com/?wp-subscription-manager=1&email=user_who_marked_it_spam%40yahoo.com&key=3c24165f284e3747efad5957d3296227

    Thank You,
    Chris Dixon

    Network Security Division
    866-964-2867 (General Support)
    281-476-7801 (Abuse/Security Fax)

    It looked to me a simple wordpress comment notification hence I reply back,

    Hello Sir,

    I am sorry I do not understand the notification.

    The email in question is a standard WordPress Comment notification email sent to only one email on notification of a comment posted in which he / she has participated.

    For your information, WordPress is a blogging software.

    Thank you,

    Regards,
    Saurav

    Once again to my surprise hostgator replies asking me why this email is marked as spam !!!

    Hello,

    Why are these emails being marked as spam? We are receiving numerous spam complaints about the emails originating from your account. We need the complaints to stop.

    Thank You,
    Chris Dixon

    Network Security Division
    866-964-2867 (General Support)
    281-476-7801 (Abuse/Security Fax)

    and This is what I write back to them,

    Hello Sir,

    Thank you for your reply

    You have asked me that why these emails are marked as spam. Unfortunately the same question I am trying ask you. As why are you counting these emails as spam ??

    I have not marked them as spam… Neither I have generated them from any illegal method. Once again I would like to point you that these emails are standard WordPress comment notification.

    I hope you are familiar with WordPress Blogging script, I am including the URL https://www.www.remarpro.com

    Once again I am unable to understand the reason, for which you are calling it a spam. This emails doesn’t contain any illegal item, no external links apart from leading back to the comment, and emails are generated only because the recipient has chosen to use the WordPress blogs comment system on the given domains WordPress installation.

    So please advice.

    Waiting for your reply.

    Thank you,

    Regards,
    Saurav

    While hostGator explains me that some one didnt click the link to stop comment notification and rather clicked the mark as spam in his yahoo box and asks me to make sure no more spam reports comes in !!!

    Hello,

    We are not counting these emails as spam. Third party individuals are receiving these emails from your account and marking them as spam. They are then forwarded to our datacenter, who relays them to us. Please take steps to correct this issue.

    Thank You,
    Chris Dixon

    Network Security Division
    866-964-2867 (General Support)
    281-476-7801 (Abuse/Security Fax)

    in my reply I try to make them understand what is in my hand and what is not,

    Hello Sir,

    Thank you very much for your reply.

    Let me once again point you that emails are in question are standard
    wordpress comment notification.

    As you yourself point out that these are marked spam by 3rd party email
    users, hence it is not under my control to revert this.

    Are you suggesting that I stop sending emails ? As your instruction leads to only possible explanation that not to send email, as someone may mark them as spam.

    Even if you send me this email and I mark this as a spam, do you have any control over me to make sure I don’t mark your Support ticket emails as spam ????

    The same situation is this one. The domain in question did not send those emails by itself. The recipients them self have chosen to reply to the WordPress comment system installation, which is generating the emails.

    Only possible way which I can think of to stop this emails are completely disabling WordPress comment system itself. So is HostGator officially asking me to shutdown all wordpress comment system running under my accounts ??

    Thank you,

    Regards,
    Saurav

    In reply they ask me for Double Opt In options,

    Can you provide us with DOUBLE OPT IN information for the email address [email protected] please, thanks.

    Regards,
    Adam D.

    Network Security Administrator
    https://www.hostgator.com/mailpolicy.shtml
    https://www.hostgator.com/support.shtml
    https://www.hostgator.com/tos.shtml
    1-866-96-GATOR (42867)

    I think for a second, the realize, hey there is link which can make an user account to opt out from WordPress email notifications.

    and I convoy my thoughts back to them (HostGaotr)

    Hello Sir,

    Please check the email which is in question. The email did contain link to opt out from the discussion mailing list. The link is titled as “To manage your subscriptions or to block all notifications from this site, click the link below:” which gives the user to block all emails which he / she doesn’t want anymore.

    What else as a site owner, one can do ? I mean WordPress is a widely used software around the world. This is the method followed by tens of thousands of web sites around the globe

    What can as a site owner one would do if an user chooses not to click the simple link to remove his email from the mailing loop rather choose to mark the email as spam ??

    I have checked myself in the domain and script in question, the system works perfectly as per specification of WordPress 2.xx. If you have any doubt I would suggest you to give it a try yourself.

    Please do advice.

    Waiting for your reply

    Thank you,

    Regards,
    Saurav

    In reply they writ the most surprising thing of the incident, which suggests that WordPress default installation is a method of to do spam ?? ??

    That is in essence spam. A user has to OPT IN to be receiving a newsletter or any other mass correspondence. Putting them on a list and then telling them to OPT OUT is spam in its purest form.

    Regards,
    Adam D.

    Network Security Administrator
    https://www.hostgator.com/mailpolicy.shtml
    https://www.hostgator.com/support.shtml
    https://www.hostgator.com/tos.shtml
    1-866-96-GATOR (42867)

    I was really surprised and write back to them that, as per WP, one has to click that check box on to include his self in the mailing list

    Hello Sir,

    Thank you for your reply.

    The user is not put in to the emailing list by default, the link in question contains option which an user must CHECK ON to receive the notifications.

    https://www.askvg.com/is-your-system-infected-with-a-virus-spyware-adware-tro
    jan

    User must manually check on the Box saying “Notify me of follow up comments via e-mail” to receive any communication back from the domain in question. The box is by default checked OFF.

    Isn’t that a notification prior to the joining in mailing list ??

    Please advice

    Thank you,

    Regards,
    Saurav

    infact my my surprise, in reply they asked me to shutdown the comment notification as HostGator counts this as a spamming tool

    I would suggest changing the plugin to one that be default will require a second opt in action, or disable the thread notifications.

    David Naraghi
    Hostgator Network Security and Support

    The issue is still not solved, I have asked them to once again confirm whether they are counting WP default installation as a spamming tool or not…

    Hello Sir,

    Thank you for your information.

    I would once again point to you that WordPress is software available in your cPanel fantastico installation !!! The domain in question has not modified any core component of WordPress. The Thread notification is standard as per WordPress specification.

    Please note, just like you, my primary concern is to make sure, none of my domains / accounts doesn’t get involved in any spamming activity, but what I failed to understand is, I am been held responsible for a default action of WordPress blogging software

    Hence as you suggest to disable the thread notification so Is hostgator
    officially suggesting the default installation of WordPress is a spamming software ?? Because whatever action you find under the questioned domain are default WordPress feature and working process.

    Thank you,

    Regards,
    Saurav

    I am still in wait for their reply…

    I have a question to WP developers, that sir, is WP a software which has satisfied all US law which is therefore mailing lists and all that stuff relating to sending an email to an user ?? Because I have not modified the code which handles the emailing and comment system, it is running as it should with a default WP system, hence what am I suppose to do with this type of allegation from Hositng service providers ??

    Thank you, and sorry for this large thread

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

  • Choto, actually, they are correct. To avoid spam mail, a system should be a double opt-in… user enters their information and provides an email address (opt 1) and then confirms that address by clicking a link in that mail to confirm they want to receive mail from you. The person who controls the inbox is the one making the final decision.

    Thread notifications (in programs like Vbulletin and similar) are permitted because (a) they are part of the terms of membership for the site, and (b) you cannot become a member without clicking a confirming link in an email.

    The problem exists here: Someone comes in, posts a comment or whatever, and uses someone else’s email address. So then every time someone else posts a comment or the thread gets updated, they get a notification that they don’t want. That, like it or not, is a form of spamming. Some sites will actually add crap comments to their sites just to get more email addresses, so they can “spam” without appearing to be a spammer. Often, they use the email addresses of things like other mailing lists, so that their messages get a wide spread.

    Good luck. This is one case where your host is probably right.

    Moderator Samuel Wood (Otto)

    (@otto42)

    www.remarpro.com Admin

    Furthermore, this is not a part of WordPress. WordPress does not have any sort of subscription system built into it. What you have there appears to be from a plugin, namely “wp-subscription-manager”.

    Deactivate the plugin.

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)
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