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I, Spammer

PCOL writes "The Washington Post is reporting on testimony before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation by Ronald Scelson, an eighth-grade dropout and self-taught computer programmer from Louisiana, who claims that he sends between 120 million and 180 million e-mails every 12 hours, that he can break sophisticated software filters 24 hours after they are deployed, and that he has no choice but to resort to forging the sender information in his bulk e-mail so he can be anonymous and maintain his connection to the Internet. He added that he obtained all his addresses legally and that AOL gladly sold him the company's entire customer directory which Ted Leonsis, vice chairman of AOL, did not deny." It's a tough life. Here's another story about the Senate committee meeting.

27 of 730 comments (clear)

  1. Uhhh.. by gurnb · · Score: 4, Funny
    "Mr. Leonsis, are you a spammer?" McCain asked.

    Leonsis, who had testified minutes earlier about how AOL was blocking 2.4 billion pieces of spam per day, did not answer directly.

    "We let members opt out" of commercial messages sent by the company and affiliates, he said. And he accused Scelson of violating the company's "terms of use" agreement by using AOL's membership directory as a source for e-mail addresses. Scelson readily agreed.


    Hello Pot, this is the kettle, you're black!!

    AOL is a bigger part of the problem vs being a bigger part of the solution.

    With great power, comes great responsibility.

    --
    "This must be a Thursday, I never could get the hang of Thursdays."
    1. Re:Uhhh.. by The_K4 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Actually, have you ever tried to write RETURN TO SENDER on a AOL-mailed CD?
      The post office won't return it.

      Ever taken a bunch of them down to the post office and sent to back certified mail (and request delivery confirmation>?
      AOL sends you a Cease and Desist letter.

      I'm serious, some friends and I did this in college because we were bored.

    2. Re:Uhhh.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      So why don't you just send them a Cease and Desist letter?

    3. Re:Uhhh.. by Dr+Caleb · · Score: 4, Funny
      If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck

      It might have Mad Cow Disease.

      --
      "History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme." Mark Twain
    4. Re:Uhhh.. by Spudley · · Score: 2, Funny

      Yes, AOL sends commercial messages to its members, but it doesn't spam the rest of the world too...

      [AOL] "Wha-?! You mean there's people using email *outside* of AOL?? That must mean they didn't get our CDs then! Did we miss someone?"

      --
      (Spudley Strikes Again!)
    5. Re:Uhhh.. by cioxx · · Score: 4, Funny
      That's what USPS Form 1500, Application for Listing & Prohibitory Order (pdf), is for.

      Maybe not. The application states:

      "The attached mailpiece, from the mailer identified below, offers for sale matter that I believe to be erotically arousing or sexually provocative and therefore is a pandering advertisement. Under the provisions of 39 USC 3008, I request that a Prohibitory Order be issued against the mailer and the mailer's agents or assigns."

      Unless you use the AOL CD as an artificial vagina, you won't get far with that application.
  2. Pretty simple by Paddyish · · Score: 5, Funny

    while ($AOL)
    { $AOL=shoot_self_in_foot(with_gun);}

    1. Re:Pretty simple by Paddyish · · Score: 2, Funny

      Overwriting AOL with a bullet-riddled and mangled apendage would probably have a positive effect on the company as a whole...

  3. Let the punishment fit the crime by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    He should be slapped lightly on the wrist with a rolled up newspaper once for every time he pissed someone off.

    True story: I broke the trigger on my water pistol by fantasising I had a gun pointed at a spammer's genitals.

  4. Where's the personal info, it's been 20 minutes. by Ravensign · · Score: 5, Funny

    Lol.

    This article is 20 minutes old, I am suprised his home address, phone number, ssn, shoe size and EQ account info aren't already posted.

    --
    "Sig free in '03!"
  5. Hell Freezes Over by Tackhead · · Score: 5, Funny
    > "I'm probably the most hated person in this room," said an unapologetic Scelson,

    and several dimensions away, Satan scraped the icicles from his beard and once more begged God to turn the heat back up. "Okay, so a spammer told the truth, but it only happened once, and it was an accident, it's not my fault, can I please have some frickin' heat down here already?!?!"

  6. Whats the big deal? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    an eighth-grade dropout...from Louisiana

    As opposed to the rest of Louisiana?

  7. Re:Spammers killed my Parents by Angry+White+Guy · · Score: 2, Funny

    Not early enough.

    --
    You think that I'm crazy, you should see this guy!
  8. Slashdot is big..but /. the Washington Post? by ERJ · · Score: 2, Funny

    Aren't we getting a bit cocky to think we can /. the Washington Post?

  9. Re:Dang it, there goes my stomach lining... by Alan · · Score: 2, Funny

    I agree with most of your points, but the problem with mandating spam to include an opt out link (which I think most "legit" spam does) is that there will still be people that use the remove@ messages to harvest "live" email addresses. I tell people these days to *never* reply to spam, no matter what it says, simply because chances are better that way.

    Even if all "legit" spams did this, it only takes one person to start harvesting this way and the whole thing completely looses it's meaning. And when you're in a business where a) following the rules and b) annoying people is required, providing opt-out really isn't in your best interests.

    Personally I think the only way to deal with this is public execution of one spammer a week on live TV until either a) they're all gone (may have to increase the frequency a bit for that) or b) the rest get the picture.

    Either way it'd be fun :)

  10. Re:FYI incaseof /. fx by Turing+Machine · · Score: 5, Funny

    "I'm probably the most hated person in this room," said an unapologetic Scelson

    An impressive claim, considering that he was testifying before Congress.

  11. Re:SPAMHAUS Record on Scelson by Steve+B · · Score: 2, Funny
    there was a horrid sulfer / rotten egg smell blanketing the whole town

    OK, that's eyewitness (nosewitness?) confirmation that Scelson does indeed live there.

    --
    /. If the government wants us to respect the law, it should set a better example.
  12. Re:Another bad Slashdot analogy by Exedore · · Score: 5, Funny

    People need to guard their email addresses in the same way they practice safe sex. Don't go sticking your email address just any old place ...

    Special offer for JSkillsWui$d3g6Yert! Email address too small/not performing to expectations? Now you can enlarge your email address the natural way! 100% safe and effective! Get the email address performance you've always dreamed of having!

    --

    I take drugs seriously.

  13. Re:FYI incaseof /. fx by DogIsMyCoprocessor · · Score: 3, Funny

    Ooops, should have said copy and paste, since it looks like the WaPo article is still there.

    --

    "And this is my boy, Sherman. Speak, Sherman." "Hello." "Good boy."

  14. Re:Dang it, there goes my stomach lining... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    CowboyNeal is my open relay.

  15. 8th Grade Dropout? by hendridm · · Score: 5, Funny

    It shows

    And all this time I thought the bad english in the spam I get originated from Asia.

  16. Re:Where's the personal info, it's been 20 minutes by Tackhead · · Score: 2, Funny
    > Amy H........ [wife/sister?]

    It's Slidell, Louisiana, and we're talking about a spammer's family. Why not both?

  17. By his own logic by Vainglorious+Coward · · Score: 2, Funny
    problem is you have to be REALLY sure this is him. What if an innocent person who shares the same name is targetted.

    Well, if he hasn't opted out of our "special offer" to exact retribution upon him, then he must want us to do this.

    --
    My next sig will be ready soon, but subscribers can beat the rush
  18. Re:HERE HE IS, the bastard by Tackhead · · Score: 2, Funny
    > The problem is you have to be REALLY sure this is him. What if an innocent person who shares the same name is targetted.

    Oh, that's easy!

    Dirty Harry: Well, punk, you've gotta ask yourself a question. What do you think of receiving exciting offe rs about products, as long as you can opt out at any time?
    Punk: What the fuck? I don't care if you've got a .45 Magnum pointed at my face! Fuck you, spammer!
    Dirty Harry: Oh, sorry, I got the wrong guy. You're free to go, son. Real sorry 'bout that. [puts gun away, pulls out wallet, hands punk $100 for a new pair of pants]

    ... Dirty Harry: Well, punk, you've gotta ask yourself a question. What do you think of receiving exciting offers about products, as long as you can opt out at any time?
    Punk: Fuck you, you spah... spuh... y-you ethical e-bidniz purfessnul!
    Dirty Harry: *BLAM* *BLAM* *BLAM* *BLAM* *BLAM* *BLAM* [walks back to the office, turns in his badge, and tells the Chief that it's cool, because even if the DA charges him with using excessive force against a suspect, no jury would ever convict]

  19. Astonishing capabilities by Carnivorous+Carrot · · Score: 2, Funny

    > an eighth-grade dropout and self-taught
    > computer programmer from Louisiana, who claims
    > that he sends between 120 million and 180
    > million e-mails every 12 hours, that he can
    > break sophisticated software filters 24 hours
    > after they are deployed, and that he has no
    > choice but to resort to forging the sender
    > information in his bulk e-mail so he can be
    > anonymous and maintain his connection to the
    > Internet.

    And here you guys all thought Neo was one of the good guys.

    --
    "Has [being a kidnapped teenage girl, raped repeatedly for months] changed you?" - Katie Couric to Elizabeth Smart
  20. Re:client filtering is just wrong approach by raju1kabir · · Score: 2, Funny
    Because most of the actual monetary cost of sending the spam has already been incurred by the time you filter at the client.

    % telnet example.com smtp
    Trying 192.168.3.48...
    Connected to example.com
    Escape character is '^]'
    220 welcome
    helo spammer.com
    250 hello spammer.com
    mail from: <makemoneyfast@spammer.com>
    250 ok
    rcpt to: <user@example.com>
    250 ok
    data
    354 ok
    Subject: [ADV] grow three more penises
    Connection closed by foreign host.
    %

    --
    "Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it." -- GBS
  21. Re:Uhhh..Does it work with the IRS by GnarlyNome · · Score: 2, Funny

    every year they send me an obscine bill.

    --
    Diplomacy is the art of saying "Nice doggie" until you can find a rock. Will Rogers