What about Bandwidth?

[universal4]

All this talk of spam.

In each and every case, no one talks about the TRUE costs of dealing with it.

Being a Web Host, I grow wreary of all the talk about using spam filters. Yes, they do help some, HOWEVER, that in itself doesn't deal with all the costs associated with the spam.

As a host, I pay for "ALL" bandwith that comes through my switch. For me to install any kind of spam filtering, I must do so on "my side" of the switch.

What that means is, even if I do filter some of the spam and keep my clients from getting it, I "STILL PAY" the incoming bandwidth the mail uses to get to the filter. In ADDITION, as mail volume continues to grow, I must now keep throwing equipment at it to help with the cpu power and memory necessary to handle the filtering. (that means MORE money)

Then there are the false positives to deal with. That means a piece of mail a client WANTED to get was rejected and he never got it. That could cost the client money. Because of this fact, most filtering should be done by the client, which also means in many cases the client must absorb some of the costs associated in pulling the spam so it can be filtered.

I would love to hear form others on their ideas in dealing with the spam on BOTH sides of the switch.

[VPJunkie]

Wow - never thought of it from that side. :shake: :shake: