dnswl.org has successfully provided whitelisting data for anti-spam filters since 2006. This is how we will ensure the continued success of dnswl.org:
The landscape for anti-spam solutions in 2011 is different from the landscape in 2006. dnswl.org must also adapt to these changes in order to remain a relevant player beyond 2011. Luckily, this will have little to no impact for most of our 50’000 users. We will provide the same independent level of data editing to live up to our promise:
Improve the reliability of the email system.
In a more mature and competitive market with big challenges ahead (adapting the anti-spam toolchain for IPv6), dnswl.org will also require a solid organisational and financial basis. However, dnswl.org has not and will not charge money to get on the list, as this would create adverse incentives.
We decided that dnswl.org will change to a subscription model for “heavy” users and sellers of anti-spam services or products. We consider those who do more than 100’000 queries per 24 hours on the public nameservers to be heavy users.
Prices have not yet been finalized. We plan to have a regular and a reduced rate; educational institutions, not-for-profits etc will qualify for a reduced rate. Those who contribute resources, data or time to the project will get free subscriptions.
For those who run a small- to medium-scale anti-spam solution (eg based on SpamAssassin) nothing will change, provided you stay below the 100’000 queries/24 hours limit. Also, we will not rush to cut someone’s access off just because he has a high-traffic day.
What else?
The financial basis for dnswl.org is not the only change that is needed to ensure the continued success of the project. We will need to broaden the reach of our editors, try to get more imports of existing whitelisting projects, and invest time and resources into improving our tools and internal data.
Getting ready for IPv6 and a somewhat improved infrastructure will be the first priorities as soon as the subscription model is in place.
Implementation of the subscription model
Migrating from our current model will be a challenge: We have no contact data for the current rsync users, and also not for the “heavy” users on the public nameservers. Further, the infrastructure and processes for handling the subscription needs yet to be built and tested. The introduction schedule looks roughly like this:
| Oct 1st 2010 | Public announcement, license change |
| Oct 15th 2010 | Pre-registration opens, special discount for early adopters |
| Nov 15th 2010 | Registration for rsync access required |
| Dec 1st 2010 | Paid subscription for rsync access required |
| Jan 15th 2011 | Free rsync access turned off |
| Feb 1st 2011 | Start enforcement of 100k limit on public nameservers |
Please note that this schedule is subject to change depending on how things evolve. We will communicate regularly on the progress and next steps. You can always contact us at admins /at/ dnswl.org.