[tor-bugs] #30911 [Internal Services/Tor Sysadmin Team]: sending email to unknown recipient @tpo gets transient error instead of permanent?

[Tor Bug Tracker & Wiki]

#30911: sending email to unknown recipient @tpo gets transient error instead of
permanent?
-----------------------------------------------------+-----------------
     Reporter:  catalyst                             |      Owner:  tpa
         Type:  defect                               |     Status:  new
     Priority:  Medium                               |  Milestone:
    Component:  Internal Services/Tor Sysadmin Team  |    Version:
     Severity:  Normal                               |   Keywords:
Actual Points:                                       |  Parent ID:
       Points:                                       |   Reviewer:
      Sponsor:                                       |
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 One common error that people make in addressing email is sending to
 `listname at torproject.org` instead of `listname at lists.torproject.org`. This
 ends up bouncing after a delay of a few days (with a 4xx transient error,
 which the sending MTA retries). It should probably either bounce
 immediately with a 5xx permanent error, or maybe automatically forward to
 `listname at lists.torproject.org`. The delayed bounce will prevent timely
 receipt of the email (when later correctly addressed), and might cause
 email to be lost completely (when the sender forgets to resend it).

 I'm not sure whether this is a more general MTA config issue, or if it
 only affects lists.

 Excerpt from bounce:

 {{{
 ** Delivery incomplete **

 There was a temporary problem delivering your message to network-
 team at torproject.org. Gmail will retry for 46 more hours. You'll be
 notified if the delivery fails permanently.



 The response from the remote server was:
 450 4.1.1 <network-team at torproject.org>: Recipient address rejected:
 unverified address: User unknown in virtual alias table
 }}}

 Complete raw bounce message, with headers at
 https://share.riseup.net/#KUuavJIwtD9SWiEADyeJCQ
 Original message at https://share.riseup.net/#V55WMe5UozEk85fgKUM6Aw
 Original was sent via gmail's SMTP server, with headers
 {{{
 To: network-team at torproject.org
 From: Taylor Yu <catalyst at torproject.org>
 }}}
 and
 {{{
 Date: Thu, 13 Jun 2019 22:36:02 -0500
 }}}

--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/30911>
Tor Bug Tracker & Wiki <https://trac.torproject.org/>
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