[ncc-services-wg] Re: [db-wg] Update to RIPE Database software

Hi Gert

The reason we did this is to prevent the ticketing mail loop. Previously
the From: was set to 'bitbucket at ripe.net' and Reply-To: set to
ripe-dbm at ripe.net.

These emails are auto-generated by the update software. There are header
fields that show it is auto-generated. But many of the notifications are
sent to ticketing systems. These don't all recognise the auto-generated
headers. So they frequently send an ack message to ripe-dbm. We then
create a ticket to say the user has created a ticket. Our Customer
Services had to spend time closing hundreds of tickets that were redundant.

We have now set the From: to unread that we think is more obvious to
users than bitbuket. The message always includes these lines at the end:

For assistance or clarification please contact:
RIPE Database Administration <ripe-dbm at ripe.net>

We have two different types of notification messages generated by our
update software. We already made this change on one of them and
announced it some time ago. But we then set the Reply-To: to unread. It
was pointed out to us at the time that this was not the correct way to
compose emails. So that has been corrected with this release.

I hope this explains our reasoning behind this change.

Regards
Denis Walker
Business Analyst
Database Group
RIPE NCC

Gert Doering wrote:
> Hi,
>
> On Mon, Mar 23, 2009 at 05:14:23PM +0100, Agoston Horvath wrote:
>   
>> The RIPE Database software has been updated.
>>
>> The update included the following changes to update notification emails:
>>  - The From: field has changed to unread at ripe.net
>>  - The Reply-to: field has been removed from all notification messages
>>  - The email envelope has been set to 'unread at ripe.net' instead of '<>'.
>>
>> The update also improved error reporting. For 'unreferenced object' and
>> some other errors, the object's primary key is now included. This will
>> make trouble-shooting easier.
>>     
>
> I'm not sure if I'm all that happy with this change.
>
> If I happen to be the target of such an e-mail: is there anything in
> there that will enable me to contact someone responsible to explain to
> me why I am receiving these e-mails and how to stop them?
>
> We shouldn't be sending e-mails from purposely-unread sender addresses.
>
> Gert Doering
>         -- NetMaster
>