Get Spam From Your Friends

ncc74656 writes: "CNET has this story about Revo Networks and its Admail system. Unlike most spam, which gets sent to you as a separate (and filterable) message, Admail would modify all of your incoming mail by attaching spam to it. Want to read your email? You're stuck getting the ads as well. It's being pitched to ISPs and webmail providers, as it can be applied to both webmail and POP3 accounts. And you thought you had enough spam clogging your mailbox already ..." Of course, most if not all of the free webmail services do add a line of spam to the top or bottom of all messages sent ...

Comments

Re:Yet another reason . . .

[Malc]

I tried this approach. I registered a domain name. I figured out how host that domain name on my dynamic IP address (assigned via PPPoE). I downloaded, installed and learnt about Debian.

Within a month my ISP had started deploying a port 25 filter :(. They claim it's to combat SPAM originating from their network. It seems that this is a popular tactic of many large ISPs. What BS. Like many other people, I'm looking for an alternative ISP.

Re:Yet another reason . . .

[ncc74656]

I tried this approach. I registered a domain name. I figured out how host that domain name on my dynamic IP address (assigned via PPPoE). I downloaded, installed and learnt about Debian.

Within a month my ISP had started deploying a port 25 filter :(. They claim it's to combat SPAM originating from their network. It seems that this is a popular tactic of many large ISPs. What BS. Like many other people, I'm looking for an alternative ISP.

Assuming that you're on some sort of broadband connection, see if you can get a static IP address. You might need to switch from residential to commercial service, but you can generally do what you want with a static IP.

I set up a mail server on a dynamic IP through Cox about a year and a half ago. It worked fine on that until they rolled out DOCSIS service for residential users. At that time, they blocked inbound port 25 to dynamic IPs; I learned of it when I stopped receiving email one day. :-P Previously, both residential and commercial users were issued COM21 modems...now COM21 modems are only issued to commercial users, though residential users who already had them were grandfathered in. In any case, there's no difference in cost at the lowest service levels between residential and commercial accounts, but static IPs ($10 each) are only available for commercial accounts. If the difference in cost isn't outrageous in your area, it's an option to consider.

You get what you (don't) pay for

[wowbagger]

As far as I can see from the article, the primary intent of this is for providers of free e-mail services - they get to make money by advertising to their users.

I am sure that the general reaction here will be one of horror and anger, let us remember that the users of these systems choose to use them and that you get what you pay for. If you are too cheap/broke to pay for a real e-mail account, you have to suffer the consequences of your choice.

However, I think this sort of thing will tank just as all previous advertiser supported systems have. People who want to receive e-mail will get a real account, and the people who are too cheap to do so are a really lousy marketing demographic.

I give it three years. Tops.

And then there was this absolute howler...

[asako]

The last paragraph of the article:

"Advertisers are reluctant to be associated with anything that irritates consumers," [Charles Britton] said. "There's not many successful business models based on annoying people."

Would somebody please explain this to the inventors of popup ads?

Yet another reason . . .

[Floyd Turbo]

To run your own mail server if at all possible. This sort of vile nonsense is likely to keep getting worse, but it won't matter a bit if you receive your email through a server you control.
--

Oh yeah right like this would work...

[Junior J. Junior III]

Hey dumbass marketing people, get a clue.

We don't want to look at advertising. We're trying to conduct our business and our lives here.

Seriously, all this is going to do is force me to use up more hard drive space for archiving my old mail messages. I'm still not going to actually read these ads. I've already mastered the art of skimming, honed through years of websurfing on sites where the signal to noise ratio is pathetically low.

I guess I can only look forward to the day where instead of receiving your email, you get a ransom note, saying that if you don't buy products from Company X right now, you'll never see your messages again.

Hey, I know! How about developing a system which shows you an advertisement which covers up the real content of the email message, and in order to unlock it, you have to score above a certain threshold on a reading comprehension exam. I can see it now...

1. How long does this great offer last? (Click on the appropriate answer):
   [ ] 3 days, but act now!
   [ ] 7 days, but act now!
   [ ] Offer subject to change or withdrawal with or without notice, so act now!
2. What is the cost of this service?
   [ ] Not $100!
   [ ] No, not even $50!
   [ ] The low, low price of $19.95!

Etc. Anyone else feel like puking?