Just a quick announcement to let you know that we are no longer sending report cards. If you have a complaint feedback loop, make sure you are monitoring your spam complaints and not relying on the report card to alert you to complaint issues. If you don't have a feedback loop, you can apply for one here: http://postmaster.aol.com/fbl/index.html

Reminder: Do not use the comment section of this blog to request postmaster support. Support requests must be submitted here: http://postmaster.aol.com/waters/index.html.

Christine
Manager, Postmaster Team

This is a correction to the original blog entry "More on the Upcoming Feedback Loop Conversion". The statement "If the recipient information is in an X-header, it can be accessed by setting the mail reading software being used to show headers, or by viewing the source of the ARF report." was incorrect. Every email address in an x-header is redacted.

The original blog entry has been edited to reflect the correct information.

AOL first began offering complaint feedback loops in 2003. Since that time, many other ISPs have begun offering FBLs, and from that, a standard(ish) format was born. This format is called ARF, or Abuse Reporting Format, and is designed to prevent FBL recipients from having to maintain separate parsers for FBLs from different providers. Due to the widespread adoption of ARF, AOL is adopting ARF as its only format for sending FBLs.

Beginning on September 2, 2008, AOL will remove the option to create non-ARF FBLs. We will also convert all existing non-ARF loops to ARF loops.

Please note that ARF messages are not readable in most major email clients. Parsing and decoding the complaints will require scripting. If you have existing FBLs in the traditional non-ARF format, please update your tools and scripts to parse ARF complaints by this time.

To read more about how ARF is used at AOL, click here.

Christine
Manager, AOL Postmaster Team

Just a quick announcement to let you know that we have updated the Feedback Loop documentation on the AOL Postmaster website. Some mailers informed us that the process was confusing, particularly with regard to the email confirmation and IP ownership.

In response, we've added two new links. The first, FBL Application Information, describes the application process in detail, explaining the various steps and why they are necessary. The second, Feedback Loop Technical Requirements, explains how you can satisfy the IP ownership requirement.

It is our hope that this updated documentation takes some of the confusion out of the FBL application process.

Christine
Manager, AOL Postmaster Team