I usually like Comcast. The only issue I've ever had with them is the typical clueless people they have in "tech support". For instance, getting new service installed unless you have a Windows PC can be a pain in the ass (in fact a couple years ago I tried with a Mac and they insisted I download an .exe file and try to run it - fucking geniuses). However, I've found workarounds for that (call back over and over until I get someone who knows how to remotely register the cable modem).

Anyway, today I got an email with this:

Dear Comcast High-Speed Internet Subscriber:

Action Taken: In an effort to help prevent spam and ensure the security of our network and customers, Comcast has modified your modem’s settings to prevent the sending of email on port 25. That is the default port email programs such as Outlook Express use to send email. We’ve taken this action because we may have detected virus-like activity from your modem or received reports from other email providers that mail from your modem generated complaints from their users. Please read this message to understand how this action may impact your ability to send email and what you should do next.

Now this is annoying on many levels. I'll outline the annoyances in order of severity:

1. They sent the notice after they blocked port 25. For me, this meant I had to not only reconfigure my email client (not a big deal), but also reconfigure the firewall and Postfix settings on my mail servers at the beginning of a business day to accept SMTP on port 587. Nothing I enjoy more than interrupting service for a bunch of people so that I can send mail again.
2. The suggestion that I may be sending spam. I don't have any fucking Windows machines. The real problem is that Comcast's "engineers" are too stupid to setup SPF records to prevent Russian spammers from hijacking comcast.net email addresses. "Our engineers can't spell SPF, so we'll just blame the customer."
3. When I called Comcast to inquire about whether or not they actually believed I was personally sending spam or if this was a network-wide policy change. They informed me it was network-wide. So why must they accuse their customers of being spammers? Oh yeah, they can't figure out how to Google for "SPF".

Anyway, I hate to do it, but I think I may switch to Qwest for a while. Comcast really crossed the line on this one.