How to Manage Your ACCEPTLIST (Account SPAM CONTROL)

Submitted by w3qa on Fri, 2014-10-17 22:05

Winlink SPAM Control Options
(Also found in the Winlink Catalog, WL2K_HELP category, item ACCEPTLIST)

Updated April 20, 2024

The WL2K mail filter is an account feature in all Winlink accounts. It is a mechanism for the positive control of spam and from internet accounts sending mail inbound to users of the Winlink system. Winlink user-to-Winlink user mail is not subject to its action. Here is how it works:

To be delivered to a Winlink user, ANY MESSAGE FROM THE INTERNET must have a sender's 'FROM:' address listed in the recipient's ACCEPTLIST, OR, the sender must include the character sequence "//WL2K" in the subject line of the message. If the "//WL2K" character string is found in the subject line, the message will bypass filtering and be forwarded normally. Messages inbound from the internet which do not pass these rules are not delivered and are bounced back to the sender with a service message that includes a link to a helpful message..

Example:
Subject://WL2K (then any other normal subject content to follow).

There are certain exceptions: Messages from the saildocs.com, sailmail.com, and certain other domains will be accepted unconditionally except where a recipient specifically blocks that domain name in their ACCEPTLIST. These domains do not represent traffic from a third party on the internet under most country's amateur radio rules. They send messages containing information freely available on the web and are not on behalf of another (third) party.

How does an address get added to my ACCEPTLIST?
1. Each message you send from your Winlink account to a recipient at an Internet email address will be automatically recorded in your ACCEPTLIST.
2. Addresses on your ACCEPTLIST remain for a period of time and are purged if unused by the end of the period. The period is currently set at six months. It may be adjusted.
3. You may send a special message to the SYSTEM, giving it instructions for changes to your ACCEPTLIST. (See below).
4. You can manage all aspects of your ACCEPTLIST from your account on the Winlink web site. Click [My ACCEPTLIST] from the left menu after logging in at [My account]..

How to manage your ACCEPTLIST via mail messages:
Changes are made by sending special messages containing instructions to the system, outlined below, one line per individual instruction:

Using a client program from your @Winlink account, send a message as follows:

To: [email protected]
Subject: ACCEPTLIST
[In the message body, the following commands are available.]

LIST: [will return a list of all entries]

ACCEPT: [email protected] [will allow messages from [email protected] to be accepted and delivered to you. You may send multiple lines with any command, each containing one e-mail address.

REJECT: [email protected] [will reject any messages from [email protected]. You may send multiple lines, each containing one e-mail address.

DELETE: [email protected] [will remove [email protected] from your ACCEPTLIST. You may send multiple lines, each containing one e-mail address per line.

Addresses without an "@" will be treated as "domain names". For example, if "ACCEPT: myurl.org" were entered, then any message bearing any address using that domain ([email protected]) will be accepted.

Examples

[Suggestion. Send this first, and retrieve the reply containing your list as the system currently has it. Use it as a reference to modify your list with further system messages.]
TO: [email protected]
Subject: ACCEPTLIST
-------------------
List:

TO: [email protected]
Subject: ACCEPTLIST
-------------------
Accept: [email protected]

TO: [email protected]
Subject: ACCEPTLIST
-------------------
Accept: [email protected]
Accept: [email protected]
Accept: [email protected]
Delete: [email protected]
Delete: [email protected]
Reject: [email protected]
Reject: nogood.com
Accept: yadda.com

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