Meng Weng Wong
Encyclopedia
Meng Weng Wong is a serial entrepreneur. In 1994 he founded pobox.com, an email services company. In 2003 he led the group that designed the Sender Policy Framework
standard (RFC4408) which was later embraced and extended by Microsoft
. In 2005 he co-founded Karmasphere, a reputation services venture.
, on Dave Farber's influential Interesting-People mailing list, and elsewhere. During 2004 Wong traveled widely, visiting ISPs in North America, Europe, Singapore, and Japan, and speaking at conferences to explain SPF. He was appointed Senior Technical Advisor to the Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group. In 2004 Microsoft merged their similar proposal, Caller-ID For Email, with SPF to form Sender ID Framework. In 2005, the Microsoft implementation was rolled out in Hotmail
, Exchange
, and Outlook
. In 2006, RFC4408 was published by the IETF as an Experimental Standard. As of August 2006, between one-third and one-half of legitimate email volume worldwide carries an SPF record.
He is a proponent of the Internet Mail 2000
architecture first popularized by Dan Bernstein; he calls it StubMail
. Together with Nathan Cheng, Julian Haight, and Richard Soderberg, he led an initial implementation in 2006 which was presented at Google in July 2006.
Wong subscribes to the accountability framework first devised at the Aspen Institute
by Esther Dyson
and others. In that framework, authentication and reputation work together to create accountability. SPF, a sender authentication standard, offers the first half.
In 2005, Wong co-founded Karmasphere.com with Martin Hall, the inventor of WinSock
and three-time serial entrepreneur. Karmasphere.com aims to offer the second half: reputation. Wong has described Karmasphere as the credit bureau for Internet identities.
In 2008, Wong moved to Singapore to work with BoxSentry.com on reputation systems for fighting false positives.
, where he attended the Anglo Chinese School
and Raffles Institution
as part of the Gifted Education Programme
. From 1997 to 2000 while performing National Service
he attended an MBA course at the National University of Singapore
.
Wong is a graduate of St. George's School
and the University of Pennsylvania
. He presently lives in Singapore
. In a recent biography he claims the following hobbies: documentary portraiture, recreational survivalism, armchair dating, graphic design and typography, and precision housekeeping.
Sender Policy Framework
Sender Policy Framework is an email validation system designed to prevent email spam by detecting email spoofing, a common vulnerability, by verifying sender IP addresses. SPF allows administrators to specify which hosts are allowed to send mail from a given domain by creating a specific SPF...
standard (RFC4408) which was later embraced and extended by Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
. In 2005 he co-founded Karmasphere, a reputation services venture.
Antispam work
In 2003, Wong hybridized two earlier proposals for sender authentication, DMP (Designated Mailer Protocol) and RMX (Reverse Mail Exchanger), and devised SPF (Sender Policy Framework, originally Sender Permitted From). In November, he met Mark Lentczner at the Hackers Conference; Lentczner, an experienced protocol and language designer in his own right, became the primary co-author on the draft specification. SPF quickly caught on among the opensource community, receiving mentions on SlashdotSlashdot
Slashdot is a technology-related news website owned by Geeknet, Inc. The site, which bills itself as "News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters", features user-submitted and ‑evaluated current affairs news stories about science- and technology-related topics. Each story has a comments section...
, on Dave Farber's influential Interesting-People mailing list, and elsewhere. During 2004 Wong traveled widely, visiting ISPs in North America, Europe, Singapore, and Japan, and speaking at conferences to explain SPF. He was appointed Senior Technical Advisor to the Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group. In 2004 Microsoft merged their similar proposal, Caller-ID For Email, with SPF to form Sender ID Framework. In 2005, the Microsoft implementation was rolled out in Hotmail
Hotmail
Windows Live Hotmail, formerly known as MSN Hotmail and commonly referred to simply as Hotmail, is a free web-based email service operated by Microsoft as part of its Windows Live group. It was founded by Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith and launched in July 1996 as "HoTMaiL". It was one of the first...
, Exchange
Microsoft Exchange Server
Microsoft Exchange Server is the server side of a client–server, collaborative application product developed by Microsoft. It is part of the Microsoft Servers line of server products and is used by enterprises using Microsoft infrastructure products...
, and Outlook
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Outlook is a personal information manager from Microsoft, available both as a separate application as well as a part of the Microsoft Office suite...
. In 2006, RFC4408 was published by the IETF as an Experimental Standard. As of August 2006, between one-third and one-half of legitimate email volume worldwide carries an SPF record.
He is a proponent of the Internet Mail 2000
Internet Mail 2000
Internet Mail 2000 is an Internet mail architecture proposed by Daniel J. Bernstein , designed with the precept that the initial storage of mail messages be the responsibility of the sender, and not of the recipient as it is with the SMTP-based Internet mail architecture.Whereas the SMTP-based...
architecture first popularized by Dan Bernstein; he calls it StubMail
StubMail
StubMail, also known as RSS/Email, is an e-mail system designed by Meng Weng Wong, which aims to improve reliability and solve the spam problems that plague SMTP by implementing a variant of the Internet Mail 2000 proposal.- External links :*...
. Together with Nathan Cheng, Julian Haight, and Richard Soderberg, he led an initial implementation in 2006 which was presented at Google in July 2006.
Wong subscribes to the accountability framework first devised at the Aspen Institute
Aspen Institute
The Aspen Institute is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1950 as the Aspen Institute of Humanistic Studies. The organization is dedicated to "fostering enlightened leadership, the appreciation of timeless ideas and values, and open-minded dialogue on contemporary issues." The...
by Esther Dyson
Esther Dyson
Esther Dyson is a former journalist and Wall Street technology analyst who is a leading angel investor, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and commentator focused on breakthrough innovation in healthcare, government transparency, digital technology, biotechnology, and space...
and others. In that framework, authentication and reputation work together to create accountability. SPF, a sender authentication standard, offers the first half.
In 2005, Wong co-founded Karmasphere.com with Martin Hall, the inventor of WinSock
Winsock
In computing, the Windows Sockets API , which was later shortened to Winsock, is a technical specification that defines how Windows network software should access network services, especially TCP/IP. It defines a standard interface between a Windows TCP/IP client application and the underlying...
and three-time serial entrepreneur. Karmasphere.com aims to offer the second half: reputation. Wong has described Karmasphere as the credit bureau for Internet identities.
In 2008, Wong moved to Singapore to work with BoxSentry.com on reputation systems for fighting false positives.
Investment and Startups
After moving to Singapore, Wong began angel investing in Internet companies. He produced a map of the Singapore Capital Markets for the Media Entrepreneur's Guide to Singapore, the first time all the funding sources for an early-stage venture have been displayed in a single infographic. He also joined the Board of Directors of BANSEA, the local angel investing group.Published essays
Wong has published a variety of articles related to technology and society, including- To Be In Touch, an academic essay about the modes of presentation of self online and offline
- What Segway Bans Have Taught Me About Politics, in the Los Gatos Observer
- Why DSL Providers Are Terrible Email Providers, on Dave Farber's Interesting-People mailing list.
- Internet Governance: An Antispam Perspective, on Circle-ID.
- Advice to a Young Lady, or "Letter to Coco", which was positively reviewed by Alain de BottonAlain de BottonAlain de Botton is a Swiss writer, television presenter, and entrepreneur, resident in the UK.His books and television programs discuss various contemporary subjects and themes in a philosophical style, emphasizing philosophy's relevance to everyday life. In August 2008, he was a founding member...
.
Biography
Wong is from SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, where he attended the Anglo Chinese School
Anglo-Chinese School
The Anglo-Chinese School ; is a family of Methodist schools in Singapore, and Indonesia.The name is usually abbreviated as "ACS", with the junior college as "ACJC", and its students and alumni referred to as "ACSians" , or "ACS boys" .ACS was the first school...
and Raffles Institution
Raffles Institution
Raffles Institution , founded in 1823, is the oldest centre for pre-tertiary learning in Singapore. It is an independent school in Singapore providing secondary and pre-university education. RI consists of a boys-only secondary section , and a coeducational pre-university section...
as part of the Gifted Education Programme
Gifted Education Programme (Singapore)
The Gifted Education Programme is a Singaporean academic programme designed for the top 1% of pupils, identified in two rounds of tests at the end of Primary 3.-History:...
. From 1997 to 2000 while performing National Service
National Service in Singapore
Conscription in Singapore, called National Service , requires all male Singaporean citizens and second-generation permanent residents who have reached the age of 18 to enrol in the military...
he attended an MBA course at the National University of Singapore
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered....
.
Wong is a graduate of St. George's School
St. George's School (Vancouver)
St. George's School , of Vancouver, Canada is an independent boarding and day university-preparatory school for boys.-History:...
and the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
. He presently lives in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. In a recent biography he claims the following hobbies: documentary portraiture, recreational survivalism, armchair dating, graphic design and typography, and precision housekeeping.
Conference appearances
He has spoken at the following conferences:- PC Forum 2006
- The Hackers Conference 2003–2006
- Inbox Event
- ISPcon
- Japan Antispam Summit 2005, Keynote speaker
- IETF 59
- National University of Singapore Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2006
- MAAWGMAAWGThe Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group started as a group of internet service providers, mobile network operators, telecommunications companies and infrastructure vendors and anti-spam technology vendors in early 2004. It has since expanded to include e-mail service providers and other forms of...
where he was appointed a Senior Technical Advisor. - TEDxNTU