December 2011 Summaries

We believe that email service providers (ESPs) should have an emissions check for their services to reduce junk mail and promote a better emailing environment. Junk mail, including unwanted newsletters and marketing emails, is a significant problem in the industry, and ISPs are now taking steps to police it by tracking engagement metrics. However, many ESPs focus on avoiding spam complaints rather than preventing junk mail from being sent in the first place. We think that ESPs should strive for higher standards and be held accountable for their environmental impact, just like car companies are incentivized to reduce emissions. By implementing emissions checks, ESPs can help reduce unnecessary emails and promote a more sustainable emailing ecosystem.

The text discusses the limitations and potential drawbacks of offering dedicated IP addresses to customers to improve their email delivery. Dedicated IPs are not a guarantee of better delivery, and in some cases, can even harm delivery if they have no reputation or are used for spamming. ISPs prioritize domain reputation over IP reputation, and new IP addresses need time to "warm up" before being trusted by senders. Offering dedicated IPs to all customers is seen as a means of retreating from overall responsibility as an email service provider, placing the burden on the customer instead. In contrast, Postmark takes 100% accountability for its IP addresses and reputation, using shared IP addresses that have a proven history of good sending practices, allowing approved customers to leverage their reputation for better delivery rates. Dedicated IPs may make sense for high-volume senders, but even then, it's not a guarantee of success. Ultimately, the focus should be on proper sending practices and domain reputation rather than relying solely on IP addresses.

Postmark, an email service provider, emphasizes the importance of authentication in sending emails. Over 61% of their customers authenticate their emails, which helps prevent delivery issues and spam filtering problems. Postmark has built-in setup processes for SPF records and Domain Keys, and most of its customers have their Sender Signatures set up correctly with DKIM and/or SPF. ISPs use tools like engagement and content scanning to verify the authenticity of emails, making it crucial to sign emails to remove doubt. The company recommends using email authentication as a best practice, stating that not doing so can lead to difficulties in getting emails delivered. Postmark provides resources and simple steps for customers to set up their Sender Signatures with DKIM.