Welcome 2019

It’s the beginning of a new year and everyone is breaking out posts either reviewing the previous year or making predictions for the next year. I’ve done both over the years.

2018 brought us a couple major things in email.

The biggest change was the European General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) came into effect in May. The regulation date drove huge volumes of email throughout the spring as companies sent notices to every email address they ever collected. These notices were a direct result of the regulation, which essentially decreed personal data belongs to the person. Companies that collect personal data about European citizens or European residents have a whole host of regulations over how they manage and maintain that data. The underlying goal is to give people control over their data. The implementations are challenging – many US companies simply block EU IP addresses from their websites – and I expect the rules and conventions to develop over time.

The other big, obvious change was OATH moving AOL properties behind the yahoo.com MXs. For delivery folks, the big challenge seemed to be getting FBLs moved over. Yahoo, and now OATH, uses DKIM for FBLs.

What does 2019 bring? I don’t really know. There are no big rules and regulations coming up, although there is some concern over GDPR style privacy laws in some states. There’s speculation that the Federal government will pass an over arching law that prevents states from regulating privacy. It could happen, that’s basically how we ended up with CAN SPAM. However, the political climate now is very different from what it was in 2003. Congress has a lot on its plate right now and I’m not sure that they’re going to take up data protection. If they do, it’s likely to not be the total wash of a law that CAN SPAM is.

Personally, 2018 involved a major change – one of them being that I became covered under GDPR by moving to Europe. One of the side effects of the move was less blogging. But my intention is to more regularly blog in 2019. Another goal is to update and improve the ISP Information pages. And bring new information and insight into the challenges and delights that comprise email deliverability.

Happy New Year, everyone. May 2019 bring you new adventures, insight, and delight.

 

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Another day… another shooting

The importance of email fades when there is yet another school shooting in the US. I cannot fathom the depth of grief and sorry for the parents who lost their children today. It is an utter tragedy that we, as a country, continue to accept dead children as an acceptable price to pay for the second amendment.
I am a graduate of Virginia Tech. I went to class in the building that is no longer there because of that shooting. I shared a major with the first student the killer shot. I had a horrible realization a few years ago that shooting, once the worst mass shooting in US history, was no longer even in the top 3. I’m sure now it’s not in the top 5.
Yes, I could write another post about reaching the inbox. I could announce a new change at an ISP. But, in the face of what happened today, I can’t. Someone shot up a school. Another community is in mourning for their children. Our leaders in Congress offer thoughts and prayers and nothing else. This is the country the NRA has purchased.
“It’s too soon” to talk about gun control. “We shouldn’t react hastily” in response. We can’t travel on a plane with a full size bottle of shampoo and without taking our shoes off because of one man. But let’s not react hastily to another school with dead kids.
I do try and keep politics off this blog, I know how divisive politics is in the US these days.
But that I’m happy because a tragedy that I had a marginal association with is no longer even in the top 5 largest shootings is horrifying to me. How normalized has students, kids, babies getting shot become that I react so inappropriately? Way too normalized.
It’s Valentines day. A day we’re supposed to spend with our loved ones celebrating each other. Yet so many families are, instead, mourning their children or holding vigil in the hospital.
America should be better than this. I thought America was better than this. But I was so wrong. We can BE better that this, but we’re not living up to our ideals.
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