We’ve landed in Dublin and are back at work. Blogging will pick up as I get back into the swing of things. I’ll be speaking on a panel at the Selligent user conference in Amsterdam tomorrow and in London on Thursday. If you’re a Selligent customer, introduce yourself and say hi! Speaking of being on panels, I heard recently that some folks were adding conference speakers to...
Changes are coming…
We’ve been blogging here about email for 11 years now. My first post was published August 29, 2007. In that time, we’ve published more than 2300 posts, and written probably millions of words. For years we have blogged multiple times a week. This summer we’ve not kept up our normal posting schedule. We’ve been a little busy with non-email stuff. We’ve spent this...
Can I get access to Google Postmaster tools if I’m using an ESP?
The answer is almost certainly yes, but there are definitely cases where it the answer is no. If you’re using your own domains for the return path and/or the d= value then you can set up postmaster tools for those domains. If you’re using a domain managed by the ESP, or a subdomain where the ESP manages the DNS, you may need your ESP to publish the correct key in DNS to authenticate...
Wildfires and deliverability
A few weeks ago we took a drive down I5 to attend a service at Bakersfield National Cemetery. Amid the acres and acres of almond farms there were patches of black from recent grassfires. Typical but boring California landscape. Wildfires are a hugely destructive but continual threat in California. Growing up on the east coast, I never really understood wildfires. How can acres and acres and...
Microsoft using Spamhaus Lists
An on the ball reader sent me a note today showing a bounce message indicating microsoft was rejecting mail due to a Spamhaus Blocklist Listing. 5.7.1 Client host [10.10.10.10] blocked using Spamhaus. To request removal from this list see (S3130). [VE1EUR03FT043.eop-EUR03.prod.protection.outlook.com] The IP in question is listed on the CSS, which means at a minimum Microsoft is using the SBL. I...
Unsubscribe means unsubscribe
But, unfortunately, some senders don’t actually think unsubscribe means stop sending mail. Today, for instance, the nice folks at The Container Store sent me an email with an “important update to my POP! account” Yes, that’s an address I gave them. But I don’t have any record of setting up an account. I was on their mailing list for all of 4 emails back in November...
Consent must be informed
In the deliverability space we talk about permission and consent a lot. All too often, though, consent is taken not given. Marketers and senders assume they have permission to send email, while the recipient is left expecting no email. There are different ways that companies assume permission. A favorite is to hide the permission deep in the terms and conditions or in the privacy policy. This is...
What is spearphishing?
As I’m writing this, I’m watching Deputy Atty General Rod Rosenstein discuss the indictments of 12 Russian military officers for hacking activities during the 2016 election cycle. One of the methods used to gain access to systems was spearphishing. I think most of us know what phishing is, sending lots of emails to a wide range of people in an attempt to collect some credentials...
The inbox is a moving target
The more I look at the industry, the more convinced I am that we’re in the middle of a fundamental shift in how email is filtered. This shift will change how we handle email deliverability and what tools we have and what information we can use as senders to address challenges to getting to the inbox. Early deliverability This period is roughly between 2001 and 2006. Many of the email...
Who are mimecast?
Mimecast is a filter primarily used by businesses. They’re fairly widely used. In some of the data analysis I’ve done for clients, they’re a top 10 or top 20 filter. Earlier today someone asked on Facebook if mimecast may be blocking emails based on the TLD. The short answer is it’s unlikely. I’ve not seen huge issues with them blocking based on TLD of the domain...