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Man Arrested for 'Spam Rage'
Mirkon writes "We've all gotten frustrated at some point with spam. Perhaps we've even been motivated to send nasty, threatening messages back to the spammers, just to vent some frustration. Wired reports that 44-year-old computer programmer Charles Booker did just that, and 'now faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.'"
Yeah, but it was a very minor crime. It's the equivilant to me yelling, "I'll tear off your head and shit down your neck if you ever come near my wife again!" if I caught you kissing her at the bar.
1. I was provoked
2. There's no real evidence I have the strength to tear off your head so it's probably not serious
3. I make no actual agressive moves toward you
It's just blustery anger, the guy doesn't deserver, and probably won't get, jail time.
TW
It is exactly for that reason that I am now pushing to have internet access removed from local classrooms. The spam and popups have gotten so bad that my second grader sees these messages come up on their classroom computer several times a day. The school has a good IT department, lots of filters, and policy with the best intentions but they just can't keep up with it.
I used to be one of the most vocal about getting/keeping internet access in schools and public libraries. All that has changed now that the spammers have turned the net into the cesspool that it is.
. Quit playing Monopoly with Bill. Switch to one of many non-Microsoft products today.
I got one of those, and placed it in the trash. And I pay my bills!
Somehow I ran across it later, and to my suprise it was with a company I had done business. Upon checking, I was given credit for a return but I only assumed I was later charged for the replacement.
My assumption had been incorrect.
It is best to get the best spam filter you can get, because I am now getting more spam where I work on assignment than work related emails.
At home, on Linux - Mozilla has been doing an excellent job. Recently I had been wondering why I was seeing so few appearing in my junk email directory. [I got my first one in weeks just today - but I am assuming labeling it and transferring it will spare me].
Another source are companies you have done some sort of business with in the past - that forever more send emails. Hence, I no longer provide my email address to most requests. On these latter, I tend to ignore their emails unless they have something about a 24 hour sale - that gets an immediate deletion. Others can sometimes be of interest, particularly for information that does not enhance their attractiveness. For example, I had been dealing with a company that while priced higher than some others I order through has been extremely reliable. Moreover, they had a good return policy. With their ads I see that have been acquired - though I sometimes check their prices on items it is very unlikely I will chance another order from them. Anyone remember Fat Brain? I only began to noticed the difference that the shipments arrived using USPS (which can be excellent though usually slower). Only later did I learn they were acquired after encouraging my son to place an order with them that was nearly botched.
So the above my be viewed as my SPAM rage - so much easier to take with pretty good filters. Also I never respond to any of the junk.
Very true. In fact, I fail to see how "companies" who send pornography to my 11 year old niece cannot be charged as peodophiles? Actually a lot of the content appears to be peodophilic in nature, which would almost certainly strengthen the cases against them.
Maybe some of the "professional victims" who make a living from suing city councils after slipping on a banana peel, or getting fat by eating too much etc, could address this new market?
Code, Hardware, stuff like that.