Email/Hour Limit

There are no limits imposed by Linode on the number of e-maisl sent.

From Linode's TOS:
> Spam and Unsolicited Bulk Email (UBE): Linode.com has a zero tolerance policy on spam, Junk E-mail or UBE. Spam, Junk-mail and UBE are defined as: the sending of the same, or substantially similar, unsolicited electronic mail messages, whether commercial or not, to more than one recipient. A message is considered unsolicited if it is posted in violation of a newsgroup charter or if it is sent to a recipient who has not requested the message. UBE also includes e-mail with forged headers, compromised mail server relays, and false contact information. This prohibition extends to the sending of unsolicited mass mailings from another service, which in any way implicates the use of Linode.com whether or not the message actually originated from our network.

Mailing Lists: Linode.com's mass mailing rules also apply to mailing lists, list servs, or mailing services you may contract with. The policy is stated as follows: An acceptable mailing list will be focused at a targeted audience that has voluntarily signed up for your e-mail information or that has made their e-mail address available for distribution of information from you. The list must also allow for automatic removal of recipients with non-distribution in the future.

The only limit on sending emails is covered in Section 3 of Linode's Terms of Service: 'Prohibited Usage'. Before you sign up / start your mailing, check the parts which start:

@Linode:

Spam and Unsolicited Bulk Email (UBE): Linode.com has a zero tolerance policy on spam, Junk E-mail or UBE.
and
@Linode:

Mailing Lists: Linode.com's mass mailing rules also apply to mailing lists, list servs, or mailing services you may contract with.
If you feel the need to ask the question, you probably need to think carefully about the answer.

Edit: Stever beat me to it :D

@pclissold:

If you feel the need to ask the question, you probably need to think carefully about the answer.

I disagree. I've meet with snide remarks when asking simple

email questions. I have no intention of SPAMMING anyone. SPAM

seems, to me at least, a big waste of time. Yet when I ask questions

about sending out hundreds of message people instantly think I

want to spam.

What about systems that are used by people that sign up and or pay to be notified by email and/or SMS via email? Those can result in relatively large volumes of email traffic, would that be considered SPAM?

The way I see it is that the IDIOTS that SPAM have caused a big headache for the normal small business person like myself.

@jjeffus:

What about systems that are used by people that sign up and or pay to be notified by email and/or SMS via email? Those can result in relatively large volumes of email traffic, would that be considered SPAM?
Probably not (though IANAL, and clearly there is quite a continuum of possibilities within the above), assuming that it fitted well within the Linode ToS.

I suspect that you really would need to know what you're doing though, and be thoroughly familiar with the steps needed to ensure that the system wasn't misused (by bad users, random bots etc.).

You may also be interested in the Spamhaus definition of spam: http://www.spamhaus.org/definition.html.

@mjrich:

@jjeffus:

What about systems that are used by people that sign up and or pay to be notified by email and/or SMS via email? Those can result in relatively large volumes of email traffic, would that be considered SPAM?
Probably not (though IANAL, and clearly there is quite a continuum of possibilities within the above), assuming that it fitted well within the Linode ToS.

I suspect that you really would need to know what you're doing though, and be thoroughly familiar with the steps needed to ensure that the system wasn't misused (by bad users, random bots etc.).

You may also be interested in the Spamhaus definition of spam: http://www.spamhaus.org/definition.html.

Thanks for the links. I will read them completely.

Respectfully, I know what I am doing. I think it is safe to say that

if I have a signed contract and someone is paying me to use the system then any notifications 'legitamently' sent are by definition not SPAM.

My comment(s) were directed at the many people that make snide remarks when you start to talk about email volume. They instantly look for the bad thinking you are talking about SPAM.

Your comments about systems being misused is a very good point. To date, we've have very very few problems in this area. Partially because we've been diligent is hardening our system.

PS: My comments herein refer to my full-time day job where we do not use virtual host nor providers. I am exploring the use of Linode

for startup ventures outside the scope of my day job.

Hormel has been very gracious about the use of "spam" to refer to unwanted email.

However, they do consider any capitalized version to be referring to their canned meat product. The DSPAM project, for example, had to change its name to dspam.

So: "spam" is email. "SPAM" is Hormel-brand canned meat.

The fact of the matter is that they lost their trademark. They can say what they want, but legally they can't do anything about people using the term SPAM whatever way they want.

@BarkerJr:

The fact of the matter is that they lost their trademark. They can say what they want, but legally they can't do anything about people using the term SPAM whatever way they want.
I wouldn't be so sure - trademarks generally have a limited scope, so the gap between food product and electronic communication is likely large enough that spam in an email context wouldn't have infringed on their food trademark name anyway. Conversely, nor would having spam used in the email context invalidate their ability to go after someone trying to use it in a food context.

– David