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WebWord Weblog Posting Posting Date: April 24, 2003 How to make the spammers throw in the spanner -- "Egging each other on, Slashdot readers then subscribed him to thousands of catalogues, mailing lists, information requests, etc. The results, according to security expert Bruce Schneier, were devastating. 'Within weeks he was getting hundreds of pounds of junk mail per day and was unable to find his real mail amongst the deluge,' he said." (Comments: Growing a Spam Killing Community)
Reader Comments...
It's surely just a matter of time before someone flips out and murders a spammer. They're constantly subjecting millions of people to low level harassment, someone's bound to snap.
The article also hints at an answer to a question I'm often asked. The question is - Why do spammers do it? Do they really think that we're all going to respond to these invitations to get rick quick or subscribe to 'adult' services? (Sorry, that was 2 questions) A very small percentage of recipients DO respond, meaning that some spammers (like Ralsky) get rich from it. Can we get a law passed that confiscates spam-derived income? But, it's also obvious that some spammers do it just because they know it annoys people. And I shudder to think how this latest development in spamming with snailmail could be used by the spamming community. Posted by: Alan on April 25, 2003 06:10 AM
"subscribed him to thousands of catalogues, mailing lists, information requests, etc." You know what would be a laugh-riot? If the technique (mass signups for snail mail) became so widespread (laidoff employees, divorcees) that you had to employee a filter service - get this - for your physical mail box. If the direct mail industry doesn't go bankrupt (too bankrupt) first. Let's face it, the potential for abuse of this backlash is just as economic (cost projector of retaliatory spam nothing) and is as semi-anonymous. Posted by: on April 25, 2003 07:04 AM
Spamming the spammers will frustrate them in the short term, but in the long term it won't do anything but get spammers to come up with more illusive ways to send spam. The only way that spam will truly be stopped is a complete reengineering of the Internet email system. Posted by: Joshua Kaufman on April 25, 2003 08:48 AM
The Australian Govt is strongly considering it making it a crime to deliver spam. It might set the precedent for the rest of the world to follow. Posted by: JB on April 25, 2003 02:55 PM
Don't look at that link unless you like hot monkey love. Posted by: Jimmy on April 26, 2003 02:27 PM
Handle spammers like we do the "War on Drugs." Let's imprison every person who gives money to a spammer. Eliminate the users and the problem goes away, right? Posted by: Johnny Logic on April 27, 2003 07:13 AM
Why do spammers do it? Spammers do it because someone is paying them. This does not account for the zany ones that make no sense. Posted by: keith knutsson on April 27, 2003 07:44 PM
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