Slashdot Mirror
RFC for Spammers
kousik writes "rfc3098 is out with the title "How to Advertise Responsibly Using E-Mail and Newsgroups or - how NOT to $$$$$ MAKE ENEMIES FAST! $$$$$"." This is a well written piece, and actually is worth reading for anyone doing advertising online. Unfortunately the people who need to understand it will never read it. And the most evil of spammers won't care because (here's the shocker) Spam Works. As long as people respond to unsolicited spam, it'll keep coming.
What's the release date for the RFC for murder, and how to do it?
Send me $25 and I'll send you clue.
And not to mention the easiest to remember: http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc3098.html
You get faster response if you send it to the upstream provider too :)
This was FUNNIER tho. Besides, the comment you refer to was posted by Spanish Inquisition, who like yourself (and is most likely one and the same) is a festering cockhole whom everyone here hates.
You are doing yourself a disservice by posting. Please never do so again.
-- Anonymous Coward
Man, you get karma points for my script! Well, at least you didn't claim it was yours... :)
My Freakin Blog
Notable changes:
Too bad no one will read this. :)
My Freakin Blog
According to NANPA, those code are for Washington and Nevada respectivley.
Down that path lies madness. On the other hand, the road to hell is paved with melting snowballs.
I read the internet for the articles.
You'll blow through it within two weeks, if not sooner. ISP's are now charging for spam sent.
--
WolfSkunks for a better Linux Kernel
$Stalag99{"URL"}="http://stalag99.keenspace.com";
--
# Canmephians for a better Linux Kernel
$Stalag99{"URL"}="http://stalag99.net";
So does armed robbery, but you still deserve to go to jail for it.
"Great." I thought, "now they can make calls directly to my GUI toolkit to make little annoying windows pop up on my screen with toner supply ads. This is much better :)
--
A buddhist walks up to a hot dog stand and says ``Make me one with everything.''
If the image of the can is challenged and needs to be replaced, I suggest replacing it with a pink, gelatinous, rectangular column of ground pork snouts.
The "cue the foo posts in 3, 2, 1..." posts will commence with no subsequent foo posts in 3, 2, 1...
http://rfc3098.x42.com/
--
Darren Stuart Embry
--
This web site will cure all your ailments.
The best response for this would be for the ISP to write in bold firendly letters in their introductory account contract: "If you use this for spamming, we are going to charge you $1000". Then this way of spamming starts to be not-so-profitable.
-- Si hoc legere scis nimium eruditionis habes.
This is akin to telling drug users "DON'T DO DRUGS" rather than giving them practical advice as to how they can do drugs safely.
--
Just goes to show -- people do listen.
The RFC gives an example of a "confirmation message" which informs the recipient that s/he has been subscribed to a mailing list, and gives instructions for unsubscribing. This is not what modern mailing-list management packages (such as GNU Mailman or ezmlm/idx mean by a "confirmation message". These packages require that a user confirm by email that s/he wants to be on the list before adding the user to the list proper. The RFC allows that the user be subscribed first, and have to take action in order to unsubscribe.
The problem should be obvious: If you have to take action to unsubscribe from a list you never asked to be on, then your mailbox can still be flooded with list email before you have a chance to get off the list. You can be subscribed without your consent by a hostile party who wants to mailbomb you. (This is more common on badly-managed mailing lists than you might think.)
Spammers today already send out (fraudulent) "how to unsubscribe" messages, whereas well-managed mailing lists require active confirmation. An RFC on how to avoid being, or looking like, a spammer should recommend that one follow the methods of the best-managed legitimate mailing lists, not those of the spammers.
I would suggest that anyone interested in responsible mailing-list operation check out the MAPS Basic Mailing List Management Principles for Preventing Abuse. A mailing list which follows these rules will be much more resistant to abuse than one which strictly follows RFC3098. Moreover, a list which strictly follows RFC3098 and which is abused will qualify its site for the MAPS RBL.
Another good free mail client for Win32 is Pegasus. http://www.pmail.com/
It's got a great filter setup... Even regexps.
Because the Slashdot Effect is so good, I want some!
http://www.technopagan.org/echo/rfc3098.txt
The Nigerian Bank scam has been going on via other media as well. The Nigerian Embassy (I think) in the UK ran some full-page adverts in UK newspapers a while back, warning people not to fall for the scam.
Next time I get spam from someone trying to sell me 10 million email addresses, I'm going to buy them and send out 10 million messages telling people where to read the RFC on spam! Woohoo.
Baz
To abuse@isp.com that is, attaching the unmodified e-mail with complete headers.
Most spam I get is porn and make money fast etc. but every now and then you get some spam for a product you would potentially be interested in (eg hardware or web hosting or whatever). But I would never deal with any of these companies since I figure if they are using spam they are probably not very reputable.
On the other hand I get a lot of snail mail advertising (I guess because my address is in my whois). I'd be more likely to deal with these companies since I figure if they are willing to pay for overseas postage just to tell me about their products then they are probably worth doing business with.
I actually liek snail mail advertising. I don't mind telemarketers either, but I would never do business with a spammer - spam is more likely to make me not do business with someone.
--
--
enterfornone - logging in for a change
Take a look at your spam's headers. They're frequently sent through a dialup that connects to a mail relay. Whenever I receive a spam, I forward it with headers to abuse@_theisp_.com. No monitoring needed on the ISP end.
/ \
\ / ASCII ribbon campaign for peace
x
/ \
I have an email address that I stopped useing entirely 4 years ago. It still receives more than twice as much spam as my zone contact address. The address I use here and on Usenet gets about the same as my nic address.
Because we know ALL those spammers obey the rules!
(SpamCon is still accepting registrations, BTW. More info can be found here.)
--
The key word there is "sometimes." I know Xoom.com was one of the ones who kept their word, but there are still many other sites out there who, as soon as you click that link or send them an email, they use that as confirmation that their spam reached an active e-mail address. After that, look out, because your address will be relatively more valuable than the average email address in a spam database.
(Nope, I didn't work for Xoom, but some friends who worked with them were involved in their spam system. Considering the huge amounts of spam they send out, I was very surprised when he told me that they actually do honor spam removal requests. (Or did, anyway; those guys don't work there anymore, so I don't know if they still do or not. Are they still around?)
Cheers,
I respond alright. I use abuse.net to get the correct abuse address for their dialups, webmail accounts, website provider etc. :-)
Then I send off a LART to all these addresses, and feel good when their accounts are terminated. Especially those ADSL & website accounts
/Styx
One ISP I worked for used to know we were being used to send spam because our mail server would die.
Generally there's two ways the administrator of a mail server would know someone is sending spam through the mail server -- the first is that they note the amount of mail being sent through the server. This could be considered 'monitoring your email' but it's highly unlikely that anyone would look unless you were sending a *very* high volume of email (if you're sending less than 100 messages at a time, don't even worry). The second would be for someone to email the admin and telling them that they got spam through that server.
Either way, there's no legal barrier that I know of keeping your ISP from reading your email, unless there's something within your agreement with them (then you have a contract). That said, it's highly unlikely the sysadmins are that bored.
If you're really worried about it, find an ISP that's willing to promise that they'll never read your email, or use GPG
rark!
Pheremone Cologne, and the Dates I Got
--
--
"Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
Bet you wish you got to it first! Nothin' like karma whoring...
BTW, you should check out the new additions...
This is all you need to know. My config is actually kind of amusing. I've picked up various rules from various people along the way, so most of it isn't mine originally. Here's what I use minus some personal information:
The lameness filter got me... Get this here.
Regaining your honor after you have spammed
1. Obtain a sword
2. Slit your belly horizontally and vertically
3. Lean forward, spilling your intestines to the ground
4. Hand the sword to a close associate who will lop off your head
Close adherence to this procedure will permit you to regain the honor you have lost in spamming.
Webcasting the proceeding is preferred but not required.
Remove the bottem name on the list, and add mine to the top...
I'll show them:
Neon Spiral Injector
Neon Spiral Injector
Neon Spiral Injector
Neon Spiral Injector
Now I'll make karma 5 times faster.
--
Help fight spam by reporting the spammers to their service providers. Most free email and web-hosting companies have terms of use argreements that forbid their use in spam, and WILL terminate the accounts of offenders. And most ISPs will take action against open relays and cancel accounts used for spamming.
The easiest way is to use SpamCop, which will automatically mail abuse reports to service providers and submit open relay information to ORBS.
It only takes a minute or two, and the more people who participate, the greater the inconvenience for the spammers.
Why is three quarters of the spam I get ads for spamming services? That seems to suggest that the services aren't getting a whole lot of repeat business.
Hmmm point taken.
Of course I didn't state how much a license would cost, and perhaps non-profit orginizations, or private individuals/private groups could be granted cheap/free licenses. I'm just trying to see if there is any way to stop/find/kill the people responsible for most of the SPAM ('course I feel the offers for credit cards that keep piling up in my mailbox).
This space for rent. All reasonable inquiries will be entertained at proprietors discretion.
hehehe funny. I know I'ts gotten to the point that I'll get the same piece of SPAM 2-3 times within a few days. You'd think the companies sending this drek out would try NOT to do this. All it does is innure us to it, and make it easier to spot the SPAM even before (or very soon after) you open the e-mail.
Purhaps the best thing would be for it to be illegal to send bulk e-mail in the U.S. without a license (or without registering a Postal Address to go with that e-mail). Then, just maintain a list (updated once a month or whenever), of valid licenses that can be included as part of the SMTP Headers. If the header isn't there, and its a bulk e-mail, make it a Mail Fraud crime. Invalid License #, Mail Fraud. Faked License #, Mail Fraud. That way the Government can 1) charge people for bulk commercial e-mail (the licensing fee), which will automatically help cut back on e-mails. 2) impose fines, which will also help cut back on e-mail.
This space for rent. All reasonable inquiries will be entertained at proprietors discretion.
From what I can gather, a lot of spammers see themselves as Great American Capitalists excercising their right to Make Money by any means possible and being persecuted by the unwashed hordes of leftist, pinko, communist sysadmins who are set against 'Frea Speach' and the American Way.
See http://belps.freewebsites.com/index2.htm
dave
...here's another:
http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc3098.html
PS. This is comment #303
0x or or snor perron?!
Reply to spam? Are you crazy? I don't even read it.
My spam detector is so honed that when going thru my morning e-mail it only takes a couple of seconds to delete my daily dose of spam. I don't even think about it - it's like driving to work when you start daydreaming and realize you drove 5 miles without even being aware of it. auto-spam-delete engaged.
Maybe we're hitting on the wrong people? Maybe, instead of trying to get rid of spammers, we should get rid of people who reply to spam?
-russ
Don't piss off The Angry Economist
RFC 3098 Advertising Responsibly April 2001
AFJ!
---
We should use the Spam logo we're using now. Hornel does not control our use of icons, regardless of what they'd like to do.
At the risk of being modded down into oblivion, I'll say a couple of things here.
/. either (I'm sure not buyin' one at today's rates!). Yes, I'm self-interested here, and a venal greedy-capitalist, etc. so mod me down if you like.
/. readers still stands, if you want a little of the filthy yellow metal to play with, contact me. Hopefully my email will finally start working again (has nothing to do with this message, my ISP is experiencing problems due to the Earthlink-borg taking them over clumsily). Thanks for listening.
First, I've already mentioned this idea, as I think mod points are an ideal thing for owners of slashcode sites (if not Slashdot) to sell. Selling banner ads has not been the road to profitability for sites like Yahoo, and it's unlikely to work for
Second, there is a way with --or two -- using e-gold to do paid-email with pushed payments using a superior (and fun to play with!) currency. My usual offer to
JMR
Try e-gold - (contact me). I'm NOT e-
And I as I sit in Grand Forks, ND, thinking "Pickle loaf? Nah....just leave 'em in the room with some rancid lutefisk" (yes, that last bit is redundant.)
----
----
Am I the only one who thinks Microsoft is a misnomer? Perhaps Macrosoft would be a better fit?
Actually if he's using the MacOS, the ueber-filtering program is Barebones Mailsmith
http://www.barebones.com/products/mailsmith/
Object oriented and grep based filters. It's neat.
----
----
Am I the only one who thinks Microsoft is a misnomer? Perhaps Macrosoft would be a better fit?
This condition has caused an awakening on the part of the Internet community-at-large.
The thing is littered with phrases like this. Repeat after me: YOU ARE NOT THE COMMUNITY. You do not represent me. Presuming to speak for other people is height of self-righteousness. It reminds me of ESR's entry in the Jargon File saying that the usage of "hacker" as someone who breaks into computers is "deprecated". ESR does not have the right deprecate anything for anyone else, and neither do any of you.
If they want this to be half-way effective, then they need to stick to the facts and not whine about how it makes the "culture" mad. If spam creates more ill-will than profit, then back it up with facts.
Oh come on. A society where no-one is allowed to speak for others is going to be one where you can't even decide where the group is going for lunch
I think that for about 99% of the readers, what the community is, and its generally (not absolutely) held opinion about spam is pretty obvious. Its a waste of time trying to cleanse the document of self-evident generalizations that can more productively be used elsewhere.
The only people it's going to annoy are those AR types who can't stand any generalizations. (Geez, I think I'll compain about dictionaries that designate expressions that I commonly use as "archaic"!
That is exactly the right thing to do.
I just started working for a company that does telemarketing. While I am not in a department that engages in any selling, some of their training class was combined with mine. All people who are involved in selling on the phone are required to use at least 2 rebuttals from a list that we have on the computers. Thses are stock answers to comments like "i don't need that' or 'i don't like to buy things over the phone'. There are only 2 exceptions: you are not required (note, it is not a question of being allowed. It is a question of being REQUIRED) to push yuor sale if a) the client is retired or b) they ask to be put on the do not call list. So by all means reply to all telemarketers with 'do not call me again'. You are saving both you and the hapless wage slave on the line time.
Wir mussen wissen. Wir warden wissen. I am a wuss
As long as people respond to unsolicited spam, it'll keep coming.
/." a month back. Don't recall it ever being posted.
Exactly who is responding to SPAM? I don't know anyone who has ever bought anything from a spammer. Obviously someone is, but who? And where can I get their address? I've got a bridge to sell....
Incidently, I posted this to "Ask
if(!toilet_paper) roll.replace(new roll);
Well, do you believe it's a valid use of their trademark? Somehow, I doubt it, from your e2 postings. If you care, e-mail Rob. The rest of us have heard it before - you post this every time the icon is used.
Become a FSF associate member before the low #s are used
Let's look back at the post that started this thread:
Saying that it is "stupid" to assert that there is a problem is essentially equivalent to denying that the problem exists.If the costs are significant for the recipient, then see above about proving that they are creating ill-will.
Once it is stipulated that spammers shift significant costs onto the recipients of their effluent, to demand "proof" of "ill-will" is absurd. Of course someone who sticks other people with your bills generates ill will -- if you don't believe it, just slip out of a group lunch without paying your share and note the reactions of your companions the next time you see them.
/.
/. If the government wants us to respect the law, it should set a better example.
What you wrote is:
Would you like me to post it un-munged, as a demonstration of your sincerity?/.
/. If the government wants us to respect the law, it should set a better example.
That (and spammers who post 800/888 numbers) are what pay phones are for....
/.
/. If the government wants us to respect the law, it should set a better example.
Correction: As long as someone believes that spam works, there will be spammers to take their money. It does not need to actually work any more than the Brooklyn Bridge needs to actually be for sale.
/.
/. If the government wants us to respect the law, it should set a better example.
Here's a couple of tips on SPAM:
/ privacy-policy.html">Network Solutions Privacy Policy Page</A>. I did it, and it cut my SPAM in half.
If you own your own domain, chances are you're getting hammered with SPAM. Fill out the <A HREF="http://www.networksolutions.com/en_US/legal
Also, use your favorite mail client, and automatically move the emails where you are not in the To: Cc: or Bcc: lines to a different folder (if you look at your spam, you will notice that you are not on these lines most of the time). You'll probably want to change this filter to exclude any mailing lists you're on.
+-- (Score:-1, Moderator on Power Trip)
If, on the other hand, you could convince them that having that image there is actually good advertising (reminding those people who like spam that it's time to eat it, and making people who have never tried it curious), they may not mind that much.
This is actually quite different than the trademark problems that Scott Oaper (kleenex), Xerox (copiers) et. al. have had to deal with where their trademark has become a generic name in it's original field. Given that Hormel (hopefully!) doesn't distribute spam or spam software, the use of the spam name isn't a trademark legal problem -- only an image peoblem. (Do they like their name being associated with one of the scourges of the net?) Although I doubt that they can control the use of the spam name for email, I'd guess that they probably have the right to control the use of the logo that they produced.
If somebody could contribute an image of canned meat splayed on a plate, I think we could come up with our own Slashdot-sourced "spam" logo that doesn't have copyright problems associated with it.
--
Sometimes boldness is in fashion. Sometimes only the brave will be bold.
- an Anonymous Coward mentioned
- Great Jewish Athletes
- Linux Users Who Have Had Sex Without Paying for It
Confusing the two and remembering that William Shatner (Kirk) was Jewish...He had sex from lots of women -- but they were allmost all illegall aliens.. (probably just wanted their 'green' cards)
--
Sometimes boldness is in fashion. Sometimes only the brave will be bold.
Stop whining folks, learn how to use the delete key.
E-mail address noted. I'll start sending all my filtered spam to you from now on, since banging the delete key all day doesn't seem to bother you as much as me.
Thanks for the offer! You're a pal! Wish there were more like you!
...on mars....
Or how about:
Unbeatable MLM Scheme
Mod this post up. Put your name on a list and forward it to 10 people, with the instructions that they should mod a post of yours up, and put their names at the bottom of the list. Keep only the last 5 names in the list. Sure way to tons of free karma!!
It's 10 PM. Do you know if you're un-American?
Slashdot me! DO IT!!! ;)
-Omar
I sometimes get spammed on ICQ, so one day I started quizing a spammer since I was bored. They don't get it. They just don't understand what they are doing. I tried for an hour to explain the costs involved and they don't care. They think bandwidth and mail storage is free and theirs for the taking.
:)
I pushed to get some kind of answer on the percentage of people that respond to them...they wouldn't say. I assume very close to zero.
The funniest thing was the guy I was messing with didn't think spamming on ICQ was actually spam. He sent one of those fake "Hey, help me out with my homepage. It's at www.makemoneynow.com (or something) messages. No, that isn't spam.
(Note: I know the link I mention in my sig asks for email addresses. Use a fake one, they don't check and she'd appreciate the votes.)
Do you work for hormel? Because every time this topic comes up you post that exact same message.
I don't really mind double posts on
The verification message requires the user to perform a step to get off the list once added. Isn't this a bad idea, since a company could say that someone added person Q to their list through the website? It seems there was a /. articule about double-opt-in being the better route. Maybe the RFC should be changed to reflect that.
Sorry not to troll here, but everyone receives spam. Yes its annoying, no it won't be stopped no matter what many think since laws here, won't apply elsewhere, and vice versa.
When I receive spam takes me about 5 muscles to hit the down arrow, then hit the d key to delete it in mutt. Not a big deal at all. One of the things I do it firewall repetitive hosts that the message traversed through via ipf and its very simple to create a script to just block it via ipf as well or any other firewall your using.
Sorry I know it sounds trollish to post this but the fact remains, spam will always be around on the net simply because you cannot regulate the entire world with a "one rule fits all" scheme.
Want Root?
Thats what filtering is for. Use a firewall to block it all its still not a big deal. People overhype everything and its mother. See the "reality check time" post for what I think is insightful information on what should be done.
It isn't a big deal since any skilled network administrator should have enough of a clue when it comes to blocking spammers. I would hope at least
Want Root?
# !/bin/sh
/tmp/morons
/tmp/morons` ; do echo ipf block in on all from $i/24 to any port = 25 >> /etc/ipf.rules ; done
/tmp/morons
/etc/ipf.rules
# Assholes v.1
echo enter assholes name
read asshole
asshole=$ashole
nslookup $assholes | grep Address | awk '{print $2}' | grep -v YOUR-NAME-SERVER-GOES-HERE >
for i in `cat
rm
Or... you could just...
echo ipf block in on all from $assholes/24 to any port = 25 >>
I've blocked tons of unwanted shit with little scripts like this... I never understood whats so damn bad about just creating something similar... Besides most of the spam I receive is from completely worthless mail servers that I barely know anyone at. If they need to reach me I'm sure they'll find a way...
Want Root?
Joe Average User lets his ISP deal with the spam issue -- filtering, etc. -- and the costs of such services are passed along to him.
So what makes you think ISP's would want spam eliminated if this were the case. Rather they'd look forward to making more money at any cost (remember their a business not your friends) Its the ISP's faults from the get go, since they should be responsible to set up their networks free from the ability of having users send spam via way of "spoofing" or other methods
used by spammers. Set up their networks correctly with the proper outgoing and incoming filters.
If spam was effectively eliminated, either through a technological or legislative solution, these costs would disappear, and either ISPs could pass along the savings to the customer.
Uh... Think about what your saying here. Create a "one rule fits all" situation which would create more chaos then it would help. Why should the US follow laws created in West Bubblefuck and vice versa? Then what? I think you should look into a cybercrime bill the EU is trying to pass which is right along the lines of this... Meaning officials down with the cybercrime law would be able to serve a warrant in their country and have another country honor that warrant. Don't you see the possible abuse of ideas such as yours?
Want Root?
Actually, it was Yom Kippur.
Also, don't forget Hank Greenberg.
General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
When reporting a spam, don't just report it to abuse@[isp] and postmaster@[isp] - if the spam contains a valid link (e.g. www.spammingforjesus.com), then find out who is the DNS host for that domain and notify them, too. Getting Internet connectivity is easy, getting a domain name is (somewhat) harder. Kill the domain and really put a twist in his jockeys...
www.eFax.com are spammers
Good point. But if ISPs could eliminate the cost of having to deal with spam, there'd be more profit in it for them, and less for spammers. Sounds like a win-win situation to me.
When I receive spam takes me about 5 muscles to hit the down arrow, then hit the d key to delete it in mutt. Not a big deal at all.
We hear this argument all the time. "Just delete it, it's no big deal."
One of the things I do it firewall repetitive hosts that the message traversed through via ipf and its very simple to create a script to just block it via ipf as well or any other firewall your using.
Not everyone has these kinds of options, or the time and knowledge to set this sort of thing up. Joe Average User lets his ISP deal with the spam issue -- filtering, etc. -- and the costs of such services are passed along to him. If spam was effectively eliminated, either through a technological or legislative solution, these costs would disappear, and either ISPs could pass along the savings to the customer.
The fact of the matter is, whether or not you're receiving spam, you're probably paying for it indirectly, somehow.
In related news, can anyone give me a ride to the hospital when I get scurvy?
---
RFC? Whazzat? Some kinda chemical additive?
I highly doubt that the average spammer has any more knowledge of what RFCs are than a fish knows what wings are. From what I can tell, the majority of these people obtain bulk e-mailing software, an ISP willing to ignore spam complaints against them and/or a misconfigured open relay, and enough greed to make Ted Turner blush, and set their ill-concieved plans into action.
Now, an RFC proposing a protocol to electrocute spammers over a TCP/IP link -- there's a Request I wouldn't mind Commenting on.
Since the problem is that "spam works", get ISPs to outlaw responding to spam, via the ISPs' AUPs. Then send some spam and forward the email address of any moron who replies to their own ISP.
--
"that's not encryption - it's a new perl script that I'm working on..." - from some Matrix parody
Make buying anything from an unsolicited email illegal.
We've tried making sending the stuff illegal - that didn't work at all.
This way there is no way that spam could work.
If major newspapers and television news showed stories on how the bill was passed making buying anything from spam illegal, then even someone elses AOL using grandmother would know that they shouldn't respond.
That way the 1% who respond becomes 0% and eventually the fscking spammers die of starvation.
-- You ain't seen me, right?
Another method would be to require all E-Mail sent to you to be encrypted with your personal and obnoxiously long PGP (GPG) key. Again, a good EULA on your key will allow you to extract that 4 pounds of flesh from any spammer who's going to take the time still try to E-Mail you. Not that any of them will.
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
--
Neafevoc
That's sad. And you know what's worst, those Nigerian scammers are still scamming people... and I'm caught in the middle!
I'm an admin* for my father's business*, and he's one of those suckers for SPAM and scams. It's really sad. I believe he already lost tens of thousands of dollars due to scams... and the insane part is that he doesn't learn!
And the latest scheme, those Nigerians*. This is the vague story I received so far.
The Nigerians front a shop to scam suckers like my dad. Supposedly they needed to export some large sums of money to the US. They needed someone from the US to hold it. To earn that person's trust, that person gives back money, gifts, and whatever back to the Nigerian company. The co. calls the sucker... err.. victim up and sends him a check... in this case it was $150k to hold.
Umm... $150k in an account seems pretty suspicious right? Well, it was a business account, and the check was flagged for fraud. So there's investigations at my place... and I'm trying to dump my hardware. (Only because I hear horror stories that they take your hardware and it's a bitch to get back.)Which is the reason why my website is down :(
Anyway, back on track. My dad is (my theory) the fall guy for that Nigerian co. and now they're laughing because they have his money. But the funny thing is that I hear that co. is still trying to find a way to export the money. (I don't get it... I really don't get it.)
Now that's really off topic. Watching my dad trying to make a million over night over and over again... makes me realize I'm in the wrong business. I should be conning those suckers ;)
*business = who knows what it really is
*admin = milk the bandwidth because there really isn't anything to do
*Nigerians = not the country in general, just the scammers who are doing the scamming in Nigeria... I'd use an actual co. name, but I don't know one. Sorry to sound stereotypical.
--
Neafevoc
What about those free email->fax gateways? Just spam them right back
---- Den ene knappen er powerknapp, den andre er Bender voice knapp "Bite My Shiny Metal Ass"
And it sent your email to 1000 other spammers as a known good email address..
--
Free Mac Mini
What if -everyone- who received unsolicited spam replied to it? Then the spammers would be spending too much time weeding out all the "Sorry, I'm not interested, and by the way I forged my reply address" posts to find those poor slobs who -are- interested in the Herbal-V and toner cartridges.
Bow-ties are cool.
PA JIMOH ESQ.
JIMOH & ASSOCIATES
BOOK SHOP BUILDING, 11TH FLOOR
23 BROAD STREET,
LAGOS - NIGERIA
FAX: 234 1 7596610
And then the next day from these guys
KHALID ABDULLAH ESQ.
ABDULLAH & ASSOCIATES
BOOK SHOP BUILDING, 11TH FLOOR
23 BROAD STREET,
LAGOS - NIGERIA
Two lawfirms, one address! And of course it's the same friggin Nigerian Bank scam thing.
You'd think that for all their money they could at least get two different addresses! The worst part? It's in ALL CAPS!
PINE
Link to alternative: http://ftp.belnet.be/pub/mirror/src.doc.ic.ac.uk/p ackages/rfc/authors/rfc3098.txt.gz
If programs would be read like poetry, most programmers would be Vogons.
All the pages were blank.
I almost bought it for the coffee table.
--
Sleep is just a poor substitute for caffeine, anyway. -Bob Lehmann
Even better, at the bottom of the email, it says this:
Ha! Who's going to send email to someone who selles email addresses to spammers?--
--
I like to watch.
--
--
I like to watch.
I used to say that, too, until some wiseacre telemarketer said, "You mean you don't call the gas company, cable company, police?" I then switched to saying, "I never do business with telemarketers." You'd be amazed at the lengths these jerks will go to trying to convince me they're not really telemarketers.
These days, as soon as my telemarketer detector goes off, I interrupt them with "Please put me on your 'do not call' list." The consistent politeness with which they say, "Right away, sir," tells me that the poor phone droids don't get penalized for this the way they do for a lost sale. And only once have I gotten a repeat call after using those magic words.
ObTopic: Does anyone know of an email client whose filtering mechanism allows me to compare fields, e.g., "if ${From:} == ${To:}..."?
Do you work for hormel?
I am not employed by Hormel Foods. I just don't want Slashdot to get sued when Hormel has to defend its trademark. (Trademarks are the only GGMs that absolutely must be enforced.)
Because every time this topic comes up you post that exact same message.
Will I retire or break 10K?
According to Hormel Foods' SPAM Trademark Policy, "We do not object to use of this slang term to describe UCE, although we do object to the use of our product image in association with that term." Hormel just doesn't want SPAM Luncheon Meat to be confused with UCE.
So what icon should we use? I'd suggest an overflowing mailbox.
Will I retire or break 10K?
Simple, ask 5 of your friends to mod this post up,
then reply to it, asking the same thing.
--
Je t'aime Stéphanie
It seems like the best approach is really to find another means of advertising where users can't immediately delete the message upon seeing the subject header, and before seeing the actual content.
What about TV? It is usually a dead giveaway when the show your are watching has yielded to a commercial. What stops the user from seeing it is no longer the show, and getting up an using the bathroom? Changing the channel? Not only has the viewer missed your PAID advertisement, but the viewer can never retrieve it (unless he/she has a Tivo and is really bored). With SPAM, sure you can delete it but if you skip over it, at least the recipient can view it at a later time (why, I don't know, but they can).
The difference is that with spam, you get a free introductory account to an ISP, buy an inexpensive list or inexpensive address spider, and then send out as many emails as you can before the ISP cuts you off. Other advertising methods cost thousands of dollars to produce and thousands to purchase media time. That is why spam is so common - no entry cost. If you spam 50,000 people, and make $10 per response, a small 0.1% response rate still nets you $500. If you bought the list for $20, that is a good rate of return.
"You get tons of junk mail via the postal service, we dont see laws being passed about that do we? "
Yes there are - you can contact the direct marketing association and be put on a remove list. Do this and contact the 3 credit bureaus, and 99% of your home junk mail is gone. I haven't seen a credit card offer in over a year. Anyone who refuses to stop sending, fill out a form 1500 and no more mail (it becomes a crime to send any further mail)
"Spam legistlation is absolutely BS, their is no legal basis for saying someone cant mass email their advertising to millions of people. "
Yes there is - freedom of commercial speech does not allow the speaker to FORCE others to listen. Even deleting the offending message, which has FORCED its way to my inbox, violates this.
The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers. Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part 2, Act 4, Scene 2
Persons within the state of North Dakota who would beat a spammer senseless with 10 Lbs of pickle loaf given the chance
Teehee... as I sit here reading this near Minot, ND.
I think it's sad how i am so used to spam. I don't get any at work, but in my two home email accounts I get over 100 spams a day combined. It's really no different than junkmail. It would be interesting to see a study regarding the ration of legit mail to junk mail, comparing the USPS and email. Of course, SPAM is more prevailent because of it's low cost, but it is also quicker to get rid of.
Moon Macrosystems. Sun's biggest competitor.
Personally, I've never been motivated to buy/use/look into something after getting an email from some random company. It seems like the best approach is really to find another means of advertising where users can't immediately delete the message upon seeing the subject header, and before seeing the actual content. Granted, these pop-up windows are just plain irritating, but it looks like that's where internet advertising is going to stay for a while.
As far as email ads, I put those in the same category as those infomercials with the same voiceover guy who did the salad shooter, the Egg-Wave, and the microwavable bacon-fryer. The quality of the ad is far too low-quality for me to want to invest any sort of trust in whatever they may happen to be selling, in the incalculably slim chance that it's not some kind of Don Lapris pyramid scheme. But that's just me.
/* Steve */
"Every jumbled pile of person has a thinking part that wonders what the part that isn't thinking isn't thinking of"-TMBG
That does not mean that they must, or even should, be dicks about it.
It is also legal for me to fart at the beginning of a long elevator ride... but a polite person will either do so before boarding, or hold it.
To put it simply, if the law is the only thing guiding your behaviour, your are what We Doctors call and "ass hole".
Changing the icon is easy, the use of it was not really that funny to begin with, and the good people at Hormel would appreciate the change. That seems like reason enough to me.
"Can't we all just get along?"
Disclaimer: No, I am not a doctor, I was recycling an old Graham Chapman bit.
Information wants to be anthropomorphized.
From the RFC...
This condition has caused an awakening on the part of the Internet community-at-large.
The thing is littered with phrases like this. Repeat after me: YOU ARE NOT THE COMMUNITY. You do not represent me. Presuming to speak for other people is height of self-righteousness. It reminds me of ESR's entry in the Jargon File saying that the usage of "hacker" as someone who breaks into computers is "deprecated". ESR does not have the right deprecate anything for anyone else, and neither do any of you.
If they want this to be half-way effective, then they need to stick to the facts and not whine about how it makes the "culture" mad. If spam creates more ill-will than profit, then back it up with facts.
And saying that e-mail has all these hidden costs is just stupid. The cost of sending e-mail is exactly what it costs for the Internet connection. No more and no less. If the costs are significant for the recipient, then see above about proving that they are creating ill-will.
In short, I think that a lot of self appointed Internet cops should say "I do not like spam, and I have proof that enough others don't like it that it's not worth it for you to send it" rather than "the Internet culture hates spam, and you are violating the rights of everyone by sending it". Speak for yourself, and back up the rest with facts.
--
Sometimes it's best to just let stupid people be stupid.
Did you read the RFC? It certainly does not "validate spamming."
I just realized this recently. I've been fighting spam for quite a while now. I've gotten quite good at getting accounts cancelled, open relays closed and whatnot. I got a spam last week that seemed like just another typical spam message... one of those "make money" type deals. Well, in researching it, it seemed like the usual free website with a form submission to a cgi script at another. (Typical tactic, to try and get people to only cancel the free site) Well, while poking around, I discovered that the cgi-bin had directory browsing on and contained two files... the script and a text file containing the name, address, email and credit card information of everyone who responded.
I fired off complaints to geocities and earthlink as well as information on what happened to all the folks whose information was in the file. Most got back to me that they'd cancelled their credit cards, etc.
Is there a moral? I could come up with something witty if I weren't so tired. So, just use this example when telling people why you don't respond to spammers.
Portable versions of Firefox, GIMP, LibreOffice, etc
As I write this, rfc-editor can't find the document. There are other copies of the RFCs out there; here is the link from Ohio State:
http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/cgi-bin/rfc/rfc309 8. html
http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/cgi-bin/rfc/rfc3098. html
b&
All but God can prove this sentence true.
I think a lot of spammers get their money by convincing someone to "invest" in their spam operation. They show them their huge file of e-mail addresses and explain the immense profit that will be made by selling some low-cost product at high prices to millions of people. The sucker puts his money into this "high-tech" investment and the spammers pocket and piss it all away without even caring if anyone who is spammed buys anything.
Face it - as long as there are idiots who really think that pyramid schemes work, viagra is the best thing since sliced bread, and that you can have all the pr0n in the world by sending some guy your CC#, there will be SPAM.
Not to say we shouldn't make life hell for'em of course.
^]:wq!^M
http://www.ustreas.gov/usss/index.htm?financial_ cr imes.htm&1
This is the Secret Service's financial crimes page. It links to (lower in the same page) the 4-1-9 (the Nigerian Bank scam) scam page, and clicking on the advisory triangle brings you to a fuller description, contact information and an email link for reporting. The Secret Service estimates losses due to this scam in the 100s of millions annually.
Look for my article "Using the Internet" for AOLers, coming soon!
Messages with "reply to remove" have a reply-to email address like: dflajksdfldf@whatever.com
Just a random banging of home row keys followed by a domain name. The odds are high that those addresses DON'T EXIST
Here is a perfect example of how useless this is:
DO let recipients know how to remove themselves from a mailing list. Advertisers should make this as easy as possible, and place the instructions in every message sent.
Excuse me??? As we are all painfully aware, answering spam just validates the address. We've been telling our webTV using relatives for years "Don't answer spam." Now they're saying "If people do the right think then the right think wil happen." HUH? If peple did the right thing then spammers would all DIE!!!Post your favorite SPAM messages/stories below. Here is mine. I got a message saying that I was selected to help a poor widow out. Supposedly, her husband had died and had left a bunch of money in a foreign account. She couldn't transfer it to America without alerting the Feds and getting hit with taxes and fees. So she needed a bank account to transfer the funds into and thus avoid estate tax or something. If I helped, I would receive 20% of the $100 Million that was in the account.
Sure! Here is my account number! Please take it and swindle me!
Check out Althea for a stable IMAP email client for X. Now with SSL!
But usually it just confirms to the bot that your email address works so that it can send more. I used to try the remove option and I have never had one go through. The mail has always been returned as undeliverable. It's easier do just hit the delete key.
- - - If the sun is a star, why can't I see it at night?
I fired off complaints to geocities and earthlink as well as information on what happened to all the folks whose information was in the file. -- CritterNYC
You're a good man, Charlie Brown. It's like shoveling sand against the tide, but at least a few people probably got the message.
It's incredible to me that people respond to such solicitations. (My standard answer to unsolicited telephone sales reps is "I never do business over the phone." It stops them dead.) As long as just one person responds to a spam message, the spam campaign can pay for itself.
-- We all have enough strength to endure the misfortunes of other people. La Rochefoucauld
One thing that makes trademark protection different from copyright/patent protection is that you can lose trademark protection if you don't defend it. The only reason Slashdot hasn't been contacted yet is probably that it hasn't come to the attention of Hormel's legal department. (I learned about this back when MIT was suing the former mit.com, an innocent organization that happened to share MIT's trademarked TLA.)
Is my from list. If you are not on it, it's unsolicited and never seen. My family and friends mail always gets in with no spam unless you call the tag on mail from a free Yahoo account spam.
The truth shall set you free!
"Generally, schizophrenia affects those in the 15 - 25 years age group. Increasingly, the individual tends to withdraw from ... The incidence of this illness world-wide, is about 1%."
"For companies with well-known brands, the 1 percent return [from spam] often isn't a good deal, and they are not going to use unsolicited advertising because it could be a damaging business practice ... They aren't always legitimate businesses."
hrm... :)
Uninnovate - Only the finest in engineering.
Responsible Spammers
People who have actually Lost 30 lbs
People who have actually fired their own boss and made $5,000 a week
People who actually benefit from Spam
Secure IIS pr0n sites you can safely leave your credit card number on
Actual women who sent spam "as a woman"
Example of a Large book:
Persons within the state of North Dakota who would beat a spammer senseless with 10 Lbs of pickle loaf given the chance
-- .sig are belong to us!
All your
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
Explaining why Spam is bad and irresponsible is unlikely to deter most advertisers and marketers, since it's not ignorance that is really stoking this problem.
Spam marketers currently have an easy time making money this way because they have large volumes of targets with little to no incremental costs, meaning they need a very small percentage of success.
Most, if faced with the choice of making money or making anonymous strangers happy, will opt for the money.
IMHO, hitting spammers financially, not educationally, would be more likely to work.
Beware typoes.
Everytime an employee gets fired/quits, I have to delete their account & archive their old mail.I keep their account active for a month to forward to whoever replaces them and discover that they're on the gap mailing list, contest lists, pr0n list, etc. and their e-mail addresses have been passed around more than a water bong at 4:20.
Oh, and it's an added treat knowing that probably half of the media we use for those mail archives probably contain spam. No one ever seems to mention that added expense that spam causes.
/*drunk.. fix later*/
* ^From:
I never get spam anymore!
My other car is first.
Im for the death penalty for spammers.
If you're using Outlook, you're probably also using Win32, or possibly MacOS, in which cases you can use Eudora, which offers better boolean filtering than it's Microsoft equivalent. What you don't get in Eudora is visual basic support, which neatly fubars the majority of VBS-script mail *assuming* you don't use Eudora's built in option to use IE as the message editor. It's also a good idea to get rid of WSH. You also don't get all those schedulers or public folders crap that PHB's like. AFAIK, all three version of Eudora include the complete filtering options.
The next Slashdot story will be ready soon, but subscribers can beat the rush and slashdot the links early!
Instead of returning copies of the bible, pizza's and bricks, next time I can send a couple of rfc's as a reply to the spam!
---
Privacy is terrorism.
- you Still have to download to filter so that you still pay to download.
- you still pay for storage on the sever to store before downloading; storage is a limited resource
- the download still eats bandwidth; bandwidth is a limited resource
My host requires a valid Email destination for all Emails not addressed to a valid Email user, which means anything to my domain has to go somewhere, It's beyond my control. We get a lot of Email from repuntable site becuase people give our domain as an Email address so they don't get the spam. It all counts against our storage and bandwidth limits. when this is added to the usual pure junk spam, and an occaisional mis-direct. it adds up quick. if any one here makes up fake Email addresses to avoid spam; please make sure via a whois search that the domain dosn't belong to someone! I regualry take a day to foward spam complaints, contact attorney generals about appearent fraud, delete user accounts for people who use my domain as a fake Email address( the password does go somewhere you know); but it takes a whole day to do this! When Spammers go to HELL they should have to reproduce all of the spam they sent in life in long-hand, and seal it in tounge licked envelope with out any water to drink!Apocalypse Cancelled, Sorry, No Ticket Refunds
I'm guessing the focus of the quote you're using is that while people make money from spamming now, there isn't much room for expansion. ("The possibility of income generation and market or business expansion are minuscule") The world may be full of stupid people, but there're still only a finite number of them. The prediction here is that any rush on Spamming will bust like the recent downturn in the online business industry. It's a warning that there is no guarantee of success just because it works for the first few people, there's only so much market to saturate with any business.
Inheritance is the sincerest form of nepotism.
Ugh, people, do we really want to validate spamming by writing an RFC on it? I'm sure some spamhaus president could squeeze an extra mil or two out of some hapless VC's by slapping a printout of this RFC on their desk. (I mean, clearly VC don't really read the business plans they're presented anyway, just skim.) I actually interviewed to work at a company that spams for a living (they called it "e-marketing".) Thank goodness I didn't end up working there. Then again, maybe spam and pr0n are the only viable money-makers left on the 'net. Sigh.
In high school I did an Earth Day project collecting paper junk mail. The thought was to collect barrels of it, and dump it on my legislator's desk to protest the preferential rates that bulk mailers get. Over four weeks of collecting, I only got a small bagful. Nobody cared.
I think it's the same way about spam. We all say we hate it, but it's just one of those annoyances that the average Joe doesn't care enough about to take action.
especially one I got today, with the subject 'boost your windows reliability!'. I was so close to replying with 'I did. I installed Linux'
I think that a lot spam could be eliminated if congress could pass a law to ensure that all solicitations contain a tag identifying them as and advertisement.
Such as...
Email apps could be programmed to read this line and ignore the message. I think this could be a lot more effective than the Op-Out law that exists today.
Also, snail-mail chain letters are illegal, aren't they? Does the same law apply to Email?
Too busy staying alive... ~ R.A.
HTML ate my code. What was I thinking?
/_!DOCTYPE HTML SPAM "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2 Final//EN//Get_Rich_Quick"_\
/_!DOCTYPE HTML SPAM "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2 Final//EN//Misc_Enlargement"_\
/_!DOCTYPE HTML SPAM "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2 Final//EN//Chain_Letter"_\
I posted "plain old text" really!
Too busy staying alive... ~ R.A.
One of the more common things a h 4 > 0 12 might do is take advantage of newbies on the internet. Does profiteering qualify? Are SPAMmers 1337, or is there an associated honor code?
Too busy staying alive... ~ R.A.
That's the second time today I've allowed HTML to steal my 's.
Stupid me, pay no mind.
Too busy staying alive... ~ R.A.
How does an ISP detect spam-sending activities?
I don't send spam, but I don't know of anything about my ISP monitoring my Emails...which is disturbing.
Would this sort of thing be legal?
Too busy staying alive... ~ R.A.
A business associate (insurance) actually reads his spam. If anything computer related gets through he forwards this to me with comments like "This looks like a good idea, can we do this?". I usually send my standard disclaimer "No, this is spam, these people are stealing resources from others to send this to you, do you want to work with people like that?" and let his Christian consuous work on him. Off course he never gets these again, because I block the envelope sender in my badmailfrom file after running them through spamcop. Haven't added the rbl block to qmail, one of these days.
Anyway, in his mind spam has no meaning. It is just another piece of email to read. I get sick just watching commericals on tv, or that blinking baby banner ad. So for me spam is just another example of how anybody will do anything to get their message in front of consumers. Unlike the phone system it is free to eliminate all spam if you one, run your own mail server and two take the time to block everybody but those you want to send mail too. Me, so many things so little time.
What is pirate software? Software for inventory of stolen treasure?
I know Outlook is a virus-spreading hellspawn of a program, but it does have a really powerful filtering capability. You can filter by sender, by keywords in the subject line, by keywords in the body, and set up a pile of rules to deal with offending messages.
I may still get spam, but I never see it.
What other email programs out there can do this?
I love to dump Outlook and use something else, but this feature keeps me using it.
-----------------
www.lucernesys.comHorizon: Calendar-based personal finance
Hey, well, SPAM DOES work. I should know. Some guy ofered me $10,000 a month to work out of my home! As soon as I hear from him, and I recieve my "special instructions" (which the $25 is well worth), I'll be rolling in the dough...
One thing I noticed, however, was that they listed a phone number to call them at. A quick web search for that phone number turned up the home page for the company behind the spam...including...
...a legitimate e-mail address to contact them at. I e-mailed them, asking politely to be removed from their list. They responded, contritely, that they will do so. As they were pretty clearly busted I am somewhat optimistic that they'll remove me.
If they don't I know have TWO legitimate e-mail addresses at their company and I can easily rig my system to automatically bounce 50 copies of every spam I get from them right back at those addresses.
I'd (almost) hate to do that, but it may be the only way to really get their attention.
Coach
Perhaps the world's greatest tragedy is that ignorance is not impotence.
HEY! we could spam spammers forwarding this newsgroup to them.
Probably it won't work, but we could laugh a lot!
Don't worry, I'm to tired [to|every]day
-=-=-=-=
I know life isn't fair, but why can't it ever be un-fair in MY favor!?
(Score:5, Insightful)
Try this--it really works!!! You won't be disappointed. For every +1 mod point you spend on this post, you will get a little video that pops up on your screen that is SO FUNNY!!!! You will laugh and laugh--it's worth it. Also, you recieve valuable Slashdot coupons redeemable at any participating "Slashdots" store in a mall near you, and you will be entered in our MILLION DOLLAR PRIZE sweepstakes.
All this -- for just ONE MOD POINT!!!!!!!
Please pass this post on to five other friends who you'd like to make millionares of. Slashdot is testing their EMAIL TRACKING system which will tally the forwarded emails--the 'dotter with the most forwards will win a trip to DISNEYLAND!
Offer ends soon, so don't fuck around!!!!!
rfc3098 - Reply For Cash: $3,098 a day!
--
"Fuck your mama."
Sorry not to troll here, but everyone gets dog shit on their street. Yes its annoying, no it won't be stopped no matter what many think since laws here, won't apply elsewhere, and vice versa.
When I see dog shit in the street it takes me about 5 muscles to move my leg left or right, then put my foot down, not in the mutt doings. Not a big deal at all. One of the things I do is buttplug repetitive dogs that keep crapping on the street and its very simple to create a scooper to just pick it up as well or any other street cleaner your using.
Sorry I know it sounds trollish to post this but the fact remains, dog shit will always be around on the streets simply because you cannot regulate the entire world with a "one rule fits all" scheme.
--
Yes, the nick is flamebait
The RFC states, as a description of a Ponzi.
" A Ponzi scheme is very similar to a pyramid except that all of the
money goes through a single location. This method of confidence
fraud is named after Charles Ponzi, a Boston, Massachusetts
"businessman" who claimed to have discovered a way to earn huge
returns on money by buying international postal reply coupons and
redeeming them in postage for more than their cost. Early
"investors" in this scheme did get their promised return on
investment, but with money that later investors were investing.
Ponzi was actually doing nothing with the money other than deriving
his own income from it, and paying latter investors' money to earlier
investors."
Is it me or does this describe the American Social Security system?
and leave my real name and phone number I love it when they call and I waste thier time then tell them how much I hate spam it seems to really piss them off. It's quite enjoyable really
http://Lenny.com
4 great justice!
It looks like this topic has been hit by a horde of unsolicited AC's
...the next time the United States decides to randomly bomb a target (Nairobi, Afghanistan, the Chinese Embassy), we now have a target with some strategic importance.
Lets not beat about the bush as to what spam really is... An spammer usually uses an unmonitored channel to advertise illegal services, or attempt to defraud people... Frauds always been there, its just that they medium for them to catch their "saps" hasn't been so great. Smid
Spamming is an unfortunate consequence of being active on the internet. For example, so long as I own a domain, people will be forever grabbing my address from the domain records. The irony is that the vast majority of addresses that spammers send to must be administrative or at least belong to savvy internet users. I theorize that spammers are no longer buying lists from each other, they're probably actively searching for addresses themselves.
Perhaps one day they'll learn to target their audience and we'll stop receiving spam. Doubt it though.
Especially since sending an email to our support email address creates an incident in our customer service program that must be tracked and closed.
Even if it were as simple as pressing delete, the 1 second that it takes adds up, and costs our company money. It's not like we can hire some one to work in the email room, like we can in the mail room, and write off their wages as an expense.
This RFC is not targeted at the folks who will inform you how to MAKE MONEY FAST or see the latest pr0n. It's meant for legitimate business who don't want to be accused of spamming people.
I think the hope is that when some marketing suit somewhere asks a techy to start an Internet advertising campaign, the techy will roll this out as an explanation of how to advertise without pissing too many people off. No, it won't help filter out pyramid schemes, but it may help out when someone makes a sarcastic suggestion of a mass unsolicited email marketing campaign.
You are standing in front of a house. There is a mailbox here.
All this stuff sounds OK to newbies too. They WANT to receive more information in their email so they don't uncheck the little boxes. They WANT to help the little sick girl by forwarding this email to as many people as possible.
Not everyone is a 31337 hax0r. As long as there are newbies, this stuff will never end. Ever.
my screen name means "Greetings Friend!!!" in Finnish.