So, we have actually blocked new registrations for users that is using gmail.com.
This is because, 99% of all spam accounts uses gmail.com
80% gmail.com signups is spam.

Just did a quick test - I enabled registration for gmail.com email-addresses.
And within 10 minutes had three spamaccounts been registered and started to spew spam.

No, this is a permanent block from now on.

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@selea Wow, but that's also blocking a lot of non-spam users.. Isn't there a more fine-grained filter like IP range? I would hate to block all gmail users from my instance..

@ruud@mastodon.world @selea@social.linux.pizza #Gmail is notorious for the ludicrous amounts of spam it enables, and Google doesn't really give a shit because they know people won't block them en masse. There's plenty of other, better providers out there. Or you can self-host, of course.

It's way overdue to take a stance against the garbage Google is flinging onto the web with no regard for others.

@tyil

I checked the abuse inbox at work (work at a hostingprovider and registrar at the moment), and there is a SHITTON of spam from gmail.com accounts.
I am not exaggerating when I say that 99% of spam in that inbox is @gmail.com addresses

@ruud

@selea@social.linux.pizza @gmail@social.linux.pizza @ruud@mastodon.world Yeah, I've worked at a registrar/email provider for a while, it's insane. But you can just host any kind of service, really, and you'll immediately notice that #gmail accounts are mostly spam, and reporting it to #Google does absolutely nothing. You'll be lucky getting a reply from their support at all.

The argument to keep allowing gmail is because so many normies are using it, but I'd argue that the more tech-savvy people should do their part and block it with explanation, so that they can understand why it's wrong to use gmail, at least in its current form.

Then again, there are plenty of reasons to dodge it, being the largest source of spam email addresses on the Internet is just one of them. Nobody seemed to care for any of the other reasons that were pointed out back in the day, I doubt the majority of people are going to care about this problem right now...

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@tyil @ruud @selea
It should be possible to perhaps block gmail, but allow specific e-mails from friends.

In terms of explanation, again would be good to explain why gmail is blocked, but suggest an alternative e.g disroot for example.

I do agree that a lot of people don't care, but if good reasons are given, the message does filter through at some point.

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@zleap

Invites still work thou - if you want to have your friends over that uses gmail, you can just create an invite link.

But yes, an explanation would be good. But people does not read the discription anyway.

@tyil @ruud

@selea @tyil @ruud

I find that, peope don't read, the usual tl:dr thing, but the downside of blocking is that the big tech retaliate by blocking you.

Disroot has good system where you have to actually type 150 characters (or words) to answer a specific question when signing up or your account is not approved.

@zleap

"but the downside of blocking is that the big tech retaliate by blocking you"

What makes you say that? It is not like I am sending spam to gmail - no email is being sent.

@tyil @ruud

@selea @tyil @ruud

For a while disroot was having issues being blocked by outlook, ok granted that could have been due to something else. This has been resolved.

@zleap@qoto.org @selea@social.linux.pizza @ruud@mastodon.world >big tech retaliate by blocking you

Most of the "big tech" players in the email field block you by default. You have to get on your knees and kindly ask them to not block you by default. We're way past the point you're describing.

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