Q: I learned that e-mail providers sometimes block mail sent from other providers over the issue of misuse. But when my provider was blocked, I wasn't told. I only learned later that some of my outgoing mail wasn't delivered. Shouldn't e-mail users be notified if they're being blocked?
Dutch Nagle, Hereford, Ariz.
A: The deliberate blocking of e-mail traffic is an anti-spam (junk mail) defense. While it inconveniences some e-mail users, it's also fleeting, so users are unlikely to be notified.
Why does it happen at all? When e-mail provider A receives an excessive amount of spam from provider B, A blocks incoming mail from B. This isn't punishment so much as a wake-up call to provider B to get rid of the spammers using its e-mail network. Once B takes action against the spammers, A lifts its blockade, usually in a couple of days. Among e-mail providers, this is considered to be responsible spam-prevention, so it's likely to continue.
Fewer consumers are affected than you would think. Why? Because e-mail provider A doesn't usually block all mail coming from provider B, just the mail coming from a few of B's mail servers — the ones used by the spammers. So only some of provider B's customers are blocked.
But if you feel your e-mail provider is being blocked too frequently — signifying a poor job of policing for spammers — change providers.
Q: My Microsoft Word documents have all been mysteriously changed to something called "Office Open XML Documents." Now Word can open but not edit them. What's wrong?
Ron Atkinson, Bloomington
