HOWTO: Annoy a Spammer

Bob writes "I think everyone by now has heard of the millionaire spammer Alan Ralsky. Here's a follow-up to the previous story. It seems that since the story was posted, people have signed him up for every advertising campaign and mailing list out there. And he doesn't like it." They're talking about this Slashdot story.

Comments

Harassment, no matter how funny, is illegal

[Anonymous Coward]

While this story amuses me greatly, it is illegal to harass someone by publishing his address and encouraging people to call/write/inundate him with offers from mailing lists. Besides, depending on how he got signed onto all those mailing lists, he might be able to claim that whoever did it was impersonating him illegally. Slashdot better get ready to be the focus of a lawsuit, and possibly a criminal prosecution.

Wrong term, actually called:

[Backov]

Poetic Justice.

Vigilante justice would be killing him and all his immediate family, which would be Oh, so sad. Especially if they wrote spammer on his forehead. And stuffed his mouth full of junk mail. Yes, that would be bad.

Hypocrisy: the wrong people have been punished

[andy@petdance.com]

Sure, that's cute to sign him up for thousands of catalogs. Unfortunately, it's at the expense of innocent bystanders.

The real argument against spam isn't that it's annoying, but that the recipient has to bear the costs. This little stunt has annoyed the spammer, but by loading various companies with unnecessary costs.

If the vigilantes wanted to make a point, they would have sent their own letters, with their own postage. Thousands of pieces of mail is still annoying, but it wouldn't have been punishing the unrelated companies.

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:This is NOT HARASSMENT

[wirelessbuzzers]

Yep. Just like it wasn't harassment when Clinton informed a certain intern of all the cock-sucking opportunities out there...

Re:other possibilities

[sharkey]

Here you go.