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The Economics Of Spamming

Posted by timothy on from the will-build-a-better-idiot dept.

Shardleton writes "What kind of an idiot would buy penis-enlargement pills? Even more idiotic, who would buy them from a spammer? Apparently LOTS of people, according to this article at Wired. The operators of a spamvertised order site left their customer logs exposed. There were 6,000 orders for the pills since July 4. Sayeth Wired: "Do the math and you begin to understand why spammers are willing to put up with the wrath of spam recipients, Internet service providers and federal regulators.""

7 of 641 comments (clear)

  1. Re:And they don't even have to sell anything by JohnGrahamCumming · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    And here's the key to a coherent FP (for which I think I should win some sort of prize... hey Slashdot editors how about a free T-shirt?).

    I subscribe to Slashdot so I get to see the stories before you can reply to them. If there's a story I have something worthwhile commenting on I fully prepare my reply in Emacs' *scratch* buffer and then copy and paste it in when I can reply.

    John.

  2. The Economics of The White House: +1, Patriotic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    The basis for futures contracts will be the
    events emanting from the nexus of civilization:

    The White House

    If the Pentagon won't offer futures, I will (stay tuned for daily quotes) from the SWEFE (Slashdot World Events Futures Exchange):

    Cheney seeks asylum in France by Nov. 2004 120.00 +2.30

    Blair hosts Do You Want To Be A Millionaire by Jan. 2004 98.65 -3.05

    G. W. Bush indicted for tax fraud by Oct. 2003 111.45 +0.34

    Saddam Hussein disovered in Cheney's bunker by Sept. 2004 99.00 +0.89

    Cheney seeks asymlum in Afghanistan by Sept. 2004 101.23 -0.67

    Rumsfeld plays Dr. Strangelove in Dr. Strangelove II 100.00 -0.93

    Cheers,
    W00t

  3. On replacing SMTP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I wonder. If it's possible to hack one's TCP stack from the inside out to defeat security measures, who's to say dumping SMTP and replacing it with something else can't be similarly circumvented? Obviously it would take work and time, but...

  4. Re:You! Outta the Gene Pool! by molo · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Is that Mike Gargano from New City, NY?

    -molo

    --
    Using your sig line to advertise for friends is lame.
  5. Re:Public Disgrace!! by Flabby+Boohoo · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Excellent information, here is a list of the most notorious spammers.

    Add this guy.

  6. Re:And they don't even have to sell anything by Some+Dumbass... · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    even more amazing is a coherent FP

    Why was this modded funny rather than interesting? It's a good point. It's hard to type up something that's actually coherent (much less smart) so quickly. I guess that none of the "First Post!" whores are subscribers.

  7. It's the SUBSCRIPTIONS, stupid! by MarcQuadra · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    A wonderful side-effect of subscriptions, you can write your FP in response to a story still to be released for discussion and 'pounce' on it when it goes live.

    Don't let the subject set you off, it's just a phrase.

    --
    "Sometimes, I think Trent just needs a cup of hot chocolate and a blankie." -Tori Amos on Nine Inch Nails