[cpanel11] Autoresponders

We have received a few concerns raised over the autoresponders feature disappearing in cPanel 11 (I say concerns because they aren’t really complaints and there’s only been a handful). This was a decision that we made in removing autoresponders from the default feature set. Autoresponders are still available, you just need to request them from our support staff.

The problem with autoresponders is that they contribute to the ongoing spam problem. If you have an autoresponder set up and you receive any spam messages on your account, then you are effectively sending out spam (as in unsolicited e-mail) to some innocent person who never sent you a message in the first place. If enough of this happens, our servers will get blacklisted. This is a very short explanation of why autoresponders are a bad idea.

All that said, I do realize that just taking away autoresponders is probably not a good idea and the fact remains that there’s just no real alternative for autoresponders. However, just because there’s no alternative does not make the statements in the previous paragraph any less true. All of this is why we do enable autoresponders back onto an account if they are requested, usually with a note explaining why autoresponders are a bad idea.

I would ask that if you have autoresponders set up on your account that you take a close look at them and ask yourself if they are really necessary. Is it worth the risk of having the server blacklisted just so users can receive your autoresponder? I know a lot of users want to use autoresponders when they are vacation so that users know they are unavailable. However, because of the issues with spam, it may just be better for users that write you to not get that autoresponder and instead you just review your mail once you get back from vacation.

We will likely be addressing this issue in further detail once we have all of the servers upgraded to cPanel 11, which should happen next week. We just wanted to offer a better explanation as to why the autoresponder feature has disappeared and give you some food for thought concerning the usage of autoresponders.

Your suggestions and comments concerning this feature are always welcomed.

Scott