

Ask HN: how about a paid-for SMTP service? - retube

Many ISPs (UK anyway) only allow you to use their SMTP server from your ISP connection. Many also stop you from using your own SMTP server (altho I don't understand why). So moving my laptop between home and office is pain - I have to switch my email client's configured smtp server each time.<p>Or - would be great for mobile email clients, where potentially an app could be installed on any network and IP.<p>Solution: a paid-for SMTP service, using some kind of authentication mechanism (e.g SMTP-AUTH which most clients can handle) for a nominal monthly/annual fee.<p>What do you think?
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maushu
"Many also stop you from using your own SMTP server (altho I don't understand
why)."

Spam countermeasures, they usually block the port.

If you do follow up with this idea you will also have to find ways to prevent
spam. Very troublesome.

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retube
if its paid-for, with a monthly massage cap for example, this would be
effective spam prevention no?

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jacquesm
No.

What you'll get is tons of people subscribing to your service, you'll be so
happy.

Then they start using your service, right up to that cap, and you're _still_
happy.

Then two months later the chargebacks start rolling in and you're dead in the
water.

Curing spam on a service like this will take a lot more than just a message
cap, you'll have to think this through very carefully because spammers have
been at this much longer than you have.

They'll eat you alive if you're not careful.

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retube
ok yes - you need excellent debit/credit card fraud prevention/detection.
There are ways to mitigate this risk tho I think, at a cost obviously.

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_delirium
You can use gmail's SMTP to send from any From: address. It'll add your gmail
address into a Sender: field, though, which you might not want.

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retube
yes but my ISP wont allow me to use any other SMTP server...

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cperciva
AuthSMTP (www.authsmtp.com) seems to be the canonical recommendation for this.

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retube
ha - ok already done :) (Edit: obviously)

