Spammer's Porsche Up For Grabs

gaurab writes "Anti-Spammers would love this. In this news piece, the BBC reports that AOL is putting up a Porsche it seized from a spammer last year in a sweepstakes. What next -- 'Spammer's House' in another sweepstakes? Is this the sign of things to come? From the story: 'Internet giant AOL has ratcheted up the war against unsolicited e-mail with a publicity-grabbing coup -- an online raffle of a spammer's seized Porsche. AOL won the car -- a $47,000 Boxster S -- as part of a court settlement against an unnamed e-mailer last year.'"

Comments

Does it come with a CD Multiplayer?

[Claws Of Doom]

And any guesses what they'll fill it with?

Re:Does it come with a CD Multiplayer?

[nathanhart]

AOL CD's no doubt

Re:Does it come with a CD Multiplayer?

[oateater]

AOL spams snail mail; Spammers spam email; AOL wins. Hmmmm....

Re:Does it come with a CD Multiplayer?

[b0r0din]

I feel like a song:

Particle Man, Particle Man
Doing the things a particle can,
20" INCH COCK AND FREE WHORES IN JAPAN!,
Particle Man.

Is he a dot or is he a speck,
He signs all his emails, 'I'LL GET YOU WET'
Or does the water get him instead,
Nobody knows, Particle Man.

Triangle Man, Triangle Man
Triangle man hates Particle man,
They have a lawsuit, Triangle wins,
Triangle Man.

Re:Does it come with a CD Multiplayer?

[Verteiron]

AOL spams snail mail at their own cost. Spammers spam e-mail at the cost of those who operate the mail servers.

Re:Does it come with a CD Multiplayer?

[Endive4Ever]

The operators of the mail servers should, uuuhh, probably change the way they do business.

I'm not excusing what the spammers do, but really, the 'consensus' based way the email system works is fundamentally broken.

Re:Does it come with a CD Multiplayer?

[Anonymous Coward]

The operators of the mail servers should, uuuhh, probably change the way they do business.

Oh yeah, they'll run right out and fix that. Sure, you'll have to change your address and you'll have to run a proprietary mail client, but hey! No spam! In fact, no mail at all, since nobody can send to you. Woohoo!

Re:Does it come with a CD Multiplayer?

[theonetruekeebler]

No, but it does come with a box of sledgehammers and a digital video recorder AOL confiscated from another spammer. It's a package deal, and you will be posting the mpeg, right? Right???

Re:Does it come with a CD Multiplayer?

[Gwenna]

AOL does not pay for the cost of disposing of the snail mail they send.

Re:Does it come with a CD Multiplayer?

[Xenographic]

I wish that this would be auctioned up amongst spam fighters :/

I just lost an important email to spam (saw it in with the junk email *just* as I deleted it all). I have thus been taking it out on the next few spammers.

I sure wish someone would give us a free car for hunting down these scumbags :]

I doubt this will be very common, though. The last spammer I heard about was living in a double-wide trailer in Florida. I'm not sure they'd care to auction that ... :]

Re:Does it come with a CD Multiplayer?

[brlancer]

I'm going to presume most countries are similar to the US in this respect, especial regarding AOL. Please forgive any differences...

AOL spams snail mail at their own cost. Spammers spam e-mail at the cost of those who operate the mail servers.

You pay. Snail mail is subsidized by the government. Heavily. If people knew what it actually cost to mail a letter, they'd have a fit. Bulk mail actually costs less (because it's bulk) even though "bulk" mail is mostly UCS. So in fact, YOU are paying more for it than if you were sending me a similar package.

Doesn't it make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?

The U.S. government makes it federal crimes to compete with the Post Office and your mail box is federal property, even though you are responsible for purchasing and maintaining it. If these barriers were removed and people were allowed to choose freely, we could cut spam down tremendously: everything people are recommending for email spam could be applied to snail mail spam--author verification, valid return addresses, etc. But none of this will happen as long as the government is the only player. There was a reason for government rule in this area 150 years ago, but not anymore. Any jackass can start a local postal company and should be able to.

Re:Does it come with a CD Multiplayer?

[Endive4Ever]

Just shaddup and eat your spam. You'll get to like it.

Re:Does it come with a CD Multiplayer?

[ryanwright]

You pay. Snail mail is subsidized by the government. Heavily.

Source?

The USPS is not federally funded; it has a federally granted monopoly, yes, but it operates from it's own revenues. Taxpayer dollars are not handed over to the USPS. So no, snail mail doesn't cost me a thing unless I'm the one mailing it.

hmm

[mandalayx]

AOL won the car - a $47,000 Boxster S - as part of a court settlement against an unnamed e-mailer last year.

"We'll take cars, houses, boats - whatever we can find and get a hold of," said AOL's Randall Boe.

According to Mr Boe, the Porsche's previous owner made more than $1m by sending junk e-mail.

Nice car, but....you're telling me the spammer made $1mm+ and all AOL got was a $47k Porsche?

Well, I suppose the publicity might work, like how the RIAA got many people to think that copyright violations = stealing.

Re:hmm

[Anonymous Coward]

Who cares, I'm already planning my customized license plate for it: INBOXSTR

It just works on so many levels.

Re:hmm

[MoonBuggy]

The publicity could work, but to be honest the first thing I thought was 'They got a million from sending email? I can send email!'

I've got just about enough morality not to go into spamming, but it sure it'd be an easy and very lucrative job for a geek that knows what they're doing. I wish I was more unscrupulous.

Re:hmm

[mandalayx]

Who cares, I'm already planning my customized license plate for it: INBOXSTR

It just works on so many levels.

cute, but sadly 8 characters--won't fit on most US license plates.

Perhaps INBOXSR. Not as cool, but 7.

Hey, I smell a good product name for a spam killer. Inboxster. Like Aimster, except the slutty girl goes to the spam file. not a single google result, either.

Re:hmm

[Anonymous Coward]

"you're telling me the spammer made $1mm+ and all AOL got was a $47k Porsche?"

No. That's why the article refers to the Porsche as part of the settlement. That implies that AOL received more than just the Porsche from the spammer.

Re:hmm

[EricWright]

As you quoted... "AOL won the car... as PART of a court settlement..." That phrasing makes me believe that this is not "all AOL got"! If they also obtained cash, a) do you think they're going to tell you how much, and b) do you think there would be a public raffle of money? They're just trying to liquidate the spammer's former assets. The cash is already liquid.

Re:hmm

[meringuoid]

Also, I tend to doubt that most spammers make as much as they claim. It would be interesting to compare and contrast
the amount of money spammers claim to earn in interviews, when saying something along the lines of 'antis are just jealous'
with
the amount of money spammers claim to earn in their filings with the IRS

It could be very informative.

Re:hmm

[JoeBar]

I thought you could fit 8 characters on license plates here? 8 works in New York.. I got "F0RMAT C" on my 911 ;)

Re:hmm

[Mr Guy]

From NC DOT For an additional annual fee of $30.00, most plates issued by the Division may be personalized. The plate may bear up to 8 spaces made up of letters, numbers and/or special characters.
INBOXSTR works here. Don't know if those rules are nationalized or state by state though.

Re:hmm

[Zocalo]

It'd probably be even more "interesting" for the IRS since the truth is probably somewhere in between given the legal line some spammers walk. Several (but not all) of the interviews and exposes with spammers known to ROKSO have shown that while some do indeed have affluent lifestyles others do not. It shouldn't be too difficult to cross check a metric like what car a spammer drives and their IRS filings against what other drivers of that model car file with the IRS and flag any anomalies. Unless that kind of data is seperated by bureacracratic red-tape for privacy reasons of course.

Re:hmm

[Anonymous Coward]

For those who can't bother even reading the first line of the article:

"AOL won the car - a $47,000 Boxster S - as part of a court settlement"

Re:hmm

[pjt33]

b) do you think there would be a public raffle of money?

Why not? Someone did sell some pound coins on E-bay.

Re:hmm

[GTRacer]

State by state... Last time I checked in Florida, it was a max of 8, BUT for 8 total, at least one had to be a space or dash. Otherwise you could use 7 or fewer alphanumerics.

GTRacer
- Was going with QKSILVR or QUICKAG for my spiffy 280ZX...

Re:hmm

[StarOwl]

I can think of a much better way to make an anti-spam statement with a Porsche, rather than AOL's raffle.

What I'd like to see is the sale of tickets to take out their spam-induced frustrations on the car. I'd pay $5 or $10 to beat upon the spammer's ill-gotten gains with a baseball bat, or to help fill the passenger compartment with a certain alleged meat product from a can.

The festivities could culminate with a bang, say like exploding the spamobile in an expression of what most people would love to do to spammers.

Of course, there would still be the question of what to do with the proceeds of such an event. Using the net profit to pay to flood known spammers' snail-mailboxes with AOL CD's, or to hire people to sneak saltpeter (or some other anaphrodesiac) into spammers' food would be poetic justice.

Re:hmm

[PlazMan]

License plate rules are by state. Here in Oregon you only get six characters plus an optional space. Bleah.

Re:hmm

[EricWright]

Which just goes to show that, for anything you can legally sell on eBay (and some things that aren't legal), you will find someone dumb enough to buy it. If you're lucky, you'll find more than one idiot and sell it for twice FMV!

Re:hmm

[bitchell]

Surely you would want it to be RSXOBNI so when people look in their mirrors while your drving behind them they see your message?

Re:hmm

[Anonymous Coward]

Was going with QKSILVR or QUICKAG for my spiffy 280ZX...

What's wrong with Hg? "QuickAg" sounds... medieval.

Re:hmm

[H8X55]

there's a bulletin board somewhere looking for it's idiot.

Re:hmm

[MoonBuggy]

What exactly did I say that was idiotic there?

Re:hmm

[H8X55]

Your comment wasn't idiotic. I meant to quote 'They got a million from sending email? I can send email!' .

And again, you're not the idiot. But somewhere there is one, saying the same thing, about to post a get rick quick(tm) scheme on some bb.

sorry, not an attack on you, but on those folks that think that same thing, and then don't think it through.

it was meant as a joke, but was too vague to be funny, and really not all that amusing after explanation.

Re:hmm

[MoonBuggy]

Sorry about the misunderstanding.

Re:hmm

[Anonymous Coward]

hell, i got no bush in 2003, why would things change in 2004?

Re:hmm

[cavebear42]

I don't know about the rest of the money but i do know that I'm building a new spamming box tonight, i never knew it was so profitable!!!!

Re:hmm

[Zeinfeld]

What I'd like to see is the sale of tickets to take out their spam-induced frustrations on the car. I'd pay $5 or $10 to beat upon the spammer's ill-gotten gains with a baseball bat, or to help fill the passenger compartment with a certain alleged meat product from a can.

Well maybe you would want to vent your frustrations with an idiotic act of vandalism on a work of art.

Now if it was the spammer, you might have a point.

Re:hmm

[BillX]

It just works on so many levels.

Or more precisely, two. ;-)

Re:hmm

[WuphonsReach]

State by state... Last time I checked in Florida, it was a max of 8, BUT for 8 total, at least one had to be a space or dash. Otherwise you could use 7 or fewer alphanumerics.

Probably because the real limit is still 7, the space/dash just gets silently dropped when it gets put into the key field. e.g. you can't have two license plates that only differe in where the space/dash is located. Since license numbers are usually reported/communicated verbally, this helps avoid confusion. (Was that "1IO0 O1I0" or "1IO0O1I0"?)

What about the registration plate

[Anonymous Coward]

Do you have to keep SPMNG CNT, or are you allowed to change it?

Re:What about the registration plate

[tony_gardner]

Perhaps CANT SPM -Have to add the "A" or we arrive at a new form of enlargement spam I really don't want to think about.

Re:What about the registration plate

[UberQwerty]

When a vehicle changes owners, you are required to change theh plates.

Re:What about the registration plate

[Desert Raven]

That depends entirely on the state, Some states, the plate is passed with the vehicle. Until recently, that was the case in Arizona.

Funny, but it makes an interesting point

[Anonymous Coward]

This spammer can afford a Porsche (and probably its replacement). How many OSS people can say the same? This is an interesting commentary on the economic value of the two groups to society.

Re:Funny, but it makes an interesting point

[Elgon]

The Labour Theory of Value has been shown to be largely a pile of crap: Something is worth what people will pay, not what is _should_ be worth according to subjective beliefs.

I do agree though that this leads to some wierd (and undeserved) results.

Elgon

Re:Funny, but it makes an interesting point

[Lumpy]

low morals and scruples has ALWAYS been more profitable than doing the right and good thing.

low life scum always have more stuff. Look at the ex -executive branch of Enron, the CEO of SCO, Hitler, Stalin, Amelia Marcos, the list goes on.

Why do you think the Mafia are in business? because Crime is profitable... so the more scummy you are the more money you get.

until there is backlash.

Re:Funny, but it makes an interesting point

[jadenyk]

I wonder if the spammer is entered into the contest to win it back???

Re:Funny, but it makes an interesting point

[fredrikj]

the ex -executive branch of Enron, the CEO of SCO, Hitler, Stalin, Amelia Marcos, the list goes on

Hitler really doesn't deserve being listed next to McBride. Don't be such a troll.

Re:Funny, but it makes an interesting point

[prat393]

I believe the whole point of the labour theory of value was to say that commodities aren't being exchanged at their true values (and screw all those horribly confusing use value/value distinctions), not that that makes the theory any easier to accept, since it's obvious that something of high utility that takes someone 1sec. to make is worth more than something completely useless that took years to finish. Marx is definitely very weird.

Re:Funny, but it makes an interesting point

[JaredOfEuropa]

This is an interesting commentary on the economic value of the two groups to society.

Society, and people or entities in it, do not reward a value voluntarily. If you give your software away for free, virtually no-one will volunteer to pay you $10 for it, even if they would have paid it if you had asked.

Re:Funny, but it makes an interesting point

[Orgazmus]

Well, since spammers cause damage for more than the money they earn, I for one think the OSS people would win pretty easy.

Re:Funny, but it makes an interesting point

[Anonymous Coward]

You joke but Hitler wasn't really doing it for the money. He believed in the insanity that he preached.

Re:Funny, but it makes an interesting point

[Anonymous Coward]

How does a greedy bastard have ecomonic value to society? As far as I can see, he has ecomonic value mainly to himself.

Re:Funny, but it makes an interesting point

[Anonymous Coward]

Also part of it is that labor creates all value.

In other words:

You can have a pile of cash and fancy machines but if you don't have any labor (i.e. workers) then it's all worthless. This goes for stacks of gold, iron ore, coal, whatever...

It's not just that the labor put into it is what makes it valueable, it's also that without labor no value will be created.

Re:Funny, but it makes an interesting point

[Smallpond]

Yes. In fact he sent in 10,000,000 entries.

Re:Funny, but it makes an interesting point

[Roman_(ajvvs)]

So you're saying they should be next to eachother? Or are you saying McBride is worse, because he's preaching insanity for the money?

Re:Funny, but it makes an interesting point

[swb]

I seem to remember being taught that the Labor Theory of Value had more to do with explaining the injustice of compensation in a capitalist economy, not the pricing of goods.

The examples I remember being used was the industrial production process. Unmined iron ore is worth less than mined ore, steel is worth more than ore, parts made from steel are worth more than steel, assembled goods are worth more than parts. At each stage of the production process it is the labor of the workers that adds value.

Its possible (although not trivial) to assign a value to the finished product at each stage of the production process, and its possible to calculate the individual worker's contribution to the increased value.

Whenever this is done, the question that always gets asked is, is the compensation system just? Why doesn't the worker retain more of the value they added to the product? Why does management appear to get more than they contributed?

There are, of course, lots of questions about this analysis, such as the difficulty in measuring management output and added value, the role of machinery in adding value (tooling a precision gear with hand tools is an obvious example of adding value; pressing a button on a CNC machine raises questions); the fact that people willingly work for less than their labor value; the value of intangibles such as education and intellectual skill, and so on.

But anyway, that's how I remember it. In terms of OSS development vs. spammers, I don't even think the labor theory of value applies, it's actually a pricing disparity of the finished products.

Re:Funny, but it makes an interesting point

[aminorex]

McBride has never made a train run on time.

(Om Mani Padme.... 20 seconds! SUBMIT!)

Re:Funny, but it makes an interesting point

[Anonymous Coward]

That you equate society with the internet is more of a commentary on you than anything else.

And a sad one at that.

Re:Funny, but it makes an interesting point

[Ryan Amos]

It's always been this way. The first two chapters of Plato's Republic are dedicated to just this argument (that being an injust person pays better rewards than being a just one.) Granted, the arguments are crap, but the only point I'm trying to make is that the argument itself has been around for aeons.

Re:Funny, but it makes an interesting point

[Anonymous Coward]

I seem to remember being taught that the Labor Theory of Value had more to do with explaining the injustice of compensation in a capitalist economy, not the pricing of goods.

Technically you are referring to the concept of exploitation, which was a Marx corollary to the LTV. The LTV long predates Marx, notably in the works of David Ricardo and Adam Smith. IIRC, Ricardo hinted at the idea of exploitation as the source of profit, but did not explore the idea in detail.

There are, of course, lots of questions about this analysis, such as the difficulty in measuring management output and added value, the role of machinery in adding value (tooling a precision gear with hand tools is an obvious example of adding value; pressing a button on a CNC machine raises questions); the fact that people willingly work for less than their labor value; the value of intangibles such as education and intellectual skill, and so on.

The answer to your machinery question is simple. In automated production systems the labor value transfers from the engineers, mathematicians and techs who designed and built the machinery, through the machinery to the commodity in question. Marx also covers your intellectual skills question in some depth in Capital.

It's funny listening to all these reactionary slashdot pricks who once read a Mises book blather on about how Labor Value is discredited. If you ever knew anyone who owned a factory you would find that they firmly believe in labor value. In fact many commonly accepted manufacturing precepts, such as statistical operator controls, are inextricably tied to the LTV (the core of "Japanese" manufacturing revolution). The same armchair economists insist that rational corporations maximize profit although it is empirically demonstrable that they more often maximize market share.

Marginal utility is a great tool for investigating value. But while it has driven the LVT from the University of Chicago campus, it has not replaced it in the real world. Marx screwed up his math a bit, but propaganda side he still makes perfect sense in the real world. He (or maybe more accurately Engels) was also an entertaining writer.

This country is overrun with moronic semi-educated ideologues wielding computers.

Re:Funny, but it makes an interesting point

[splerdu]

Amelia Marcos

If you're referring to the wife of deposed Philippine strongman Ferdinand Marcos, her name is Imelda Romualdez Marcos.

Re:Funny, but it makes an interesting point

[swb]

At least I'm not getting flamed for getting it completely wrong or being a Marxist.

Re:Funny, but it makes an interesting point

[Razzak]

So what you're saying is, you can make a lot of money doing illegal things? WOAH!

Re:Funny, but it makes an interesting point

[Anonymous Coward]

low morals and scruples has ALWAYS been more profitable than doing the right and good thing.

That is contingent on what particular morals and scruples you are referring to. If your morals and scruples run along the lines of "don't be selfish", well duh!

But those of us whose morality pertains to pursuing and maintaining values do not have that problem.

Hey that was mine!

[Yo Grark]

It says so right here:

Want to own seized property at half the cost? Want to buy a house for a fraction of the mortgage?

http://www.hillnews.com/news/043003/ss_auctions. as px

Bah. Hey AOL, you REALLY want to help rid the world of spammers? ANSWER OUR EMAILS OF ABUSE.

Yo Grark

Better News:

[hplasm]

Spammer's Balls Up For Grabs

I can see it already in my inbox...

[mrselfdestrukt]

Order v14gra now and get chance to win a p0r5che b0xt3r from A07.

Can't just join?

[p_millipede]

The Porsche sweepstake lasts until 8 April, and will be open only to those who were AOL members when it was first announced.

Damn, so I can't just join now, win a car, and then terminate the account?

Re:Can't just join?

[sapbasisnerd]

Uhm, is this legal? Since a purchase is required for entry, this ceases to be a promotional contest and becomes gambling, does AOL have a casino licence?

Re:Can't just join?

[Orgazmus]

Terminate your account?
What world are you from?

Re:Can't just join?

[Anonymous Coward]

There is no purchase required. That is the point. You already had to be a member to be eligible. If they used it as a way to get people to sign up then you would be right.

There is no law that says a organization can't hold sweepstakes for its own members.

Re:Can't just join?

[phurley]

Might just be me, but that sounds like a pretty big loop hole. I could start a company, charge a monthly fee and hold monthly membership sweepstakes (only for people who were members last month of course, this is not gambling club or anything crass like that of course)?

Given the popularity of lotteries in this country (US), I would think you run a very profitiable business in this manner, keeping a small portion of the monthly dues and running the rest like a big lottery.

Re:Can't just join?

[zaren]

I just signed up for a trial AOL account a few days ago to test it's web browser... anyone know the details on when you needed to be an AOLer to get in on this?

Re:Can't just join?

[sapbasisnerd]

Asked the missus (who works in the field of contest and advertising law but is not a lawyer) and she basically agrees with you. You can offer a contest to members only as long as that contest is not an incentive to join.

Re:Can't just join?

[RexHowland]

I could start a company, charge a monthly fee and hold monthly membership sweepstakes (only for people who were members last month of course...)

Heh... I'd like to start one of those. I'd get a bunch of people to subscribe, and tell them they're ineligible until the next month.

And then I'd take their money and run off before the next month came. "Oops!"

Allow me to be the first to say .....

[Alranor]

Ha. Ha.
</Nelson>

Screw the Car...

[Spencerian]

...I want that spammer's ball sac for a potpourri-filled an air freshener.

Yeah, pal, I got your "male enhancement" right HERE...

Re:Screw the Car...

[Rand Race]

It'll be a small sack. If the dude had big balls he would have gotten a Corvette for his $47k instead of an overpriced, underpowered secretary sportscar version of a real Porsche.

/flamebait

Re:Screw the Car...

[Endive4Ever]

So, you're saying that a Corvette is the equivalent of a low-end Porche?

Re:Screw the Car...

[Rand Race]

I'm saying the 'Vette is a more ballsy car for an equivalent amount of money. Less refined than a Boxster but it has gobs more power.

It all depends on what you want. I find a Boxster to be more fun to drive than a Corvette but the simple fact of the matter is that the 'Vette is quite a bit faster... and the C6s will be even quicker.

Funny...

[hookedup]

Seems this spammer bought one of the most expensive penis enhancement products you can get..

Number 2

[bbrazil]

you're telling me the spammer made $1mm+

Not exaclty great growth potential...

Smash it up

[EasyTarget]

Come'on AOL, give those members who this guy spammed a chance to have at the car with a hammer! Better still offer them a chance to buy the oppertunity to urinate on the upholstery, proceeds to CAUCE! All sorts of fun activities spring to mind. You can the webcast it so the spammer can watch ;-)

Sweepstaking it is sooo tame.

Re:Smash it up

[Patrik_AKA_RedX]

You can the webcast it so the spammer can watch ;-)

Better yet: let the spammer look from inside the car. Who wouldn't want to see the face of the spammer when he sees his ex-car being reduced to a pile of metal.

Perhaps we'll let him out before crushing the car into a cube. Perhaps not...

Re:Smash it up

[Anonymous Coward]

I'd rather keep the car, smash the spammer with a hammer, and make Xmas ornaments from his cold, dead, entrails.

And then come up something really mean ...

But then again, I rate spammers below terrorists and Republicans.

Re:Smash it up

[Anonymous Coward]

Sacrilage! Destroying the car would just be a waste of a great vehicle that no longer belongs to the spammer. much more fun to pelt the *&^$^*" with rotten tomatoes or worse.

Re:Smash it up

[AndroidCat]

The spammer may not own it any more, but after he's had his big fat greasy behind on the seats, it'll never be clean again.

No....

[Anonymous Coward]

you're thinking of the trunk.

Re:No....

[nathanhart]

You're right, think they will throw in a AOL running man to hang from your mirror?

Porsche?

[CleverNickedName]

Clearly he was responsible for those "Increase the site of your penis" mails.

Wait...

[ForestGrump]

Aol goes after other spammers, but doesn't AOL spam its own customers?

I remember using AOL in years past and they would throw crap at you telling you to BUY THIS and THIS every time you logged into an AOL account.

-Grump

Re:Wait...

[Anonymous Coward]

you can turn AOL's ads off via Keyword: Marketing Preferences

Re:Wait...

[Rocketboy]

Not only can you turn the adds off, it actually works. I'd turned it off so long ago I forgot all about it. Haven't seen an add from AOL in ages.

Re:Wait...

[Anonymous Coward]

Only one "d" in "ads", please.

Re:Wait...

[EvilAlien]

Wildly tossing out over-broad labels of "spam" does not help the cause, and hinders it. Are you sure you didn't sign something? Are you sure that these clumsy marketing efforts weren't part of the previously established prior business relationship between you and your ISP?

There is a hell of a difference between what you are describing and real spam. Real spam in involves privacy violations, harvesting of addresses, messages sent to randomly generated lists, etc.

Check out The Definition of Spam (according to Spamhaus) and What is spam? (according to spam.abuse.net). The term was originally coined to describe the crap spewed onto USENET. It most certainly was not intended to describe marketing spewed by your ISP, television, newspaper, or the ad boxes on /.

Re:Wait...

[scrytch]

> Aol goes after other spammers, but doesn't AOL spam its own customers?

They're AOL's mail servers, they can send whatever they want to their own mailboxes.

Re:Wait...

[ForestGrump]

and the sad part is that their paying customers put up with it

Re:Wait...

[Anonymous Coward]

Not only can you turn the adds off, it actually works. I'd turned it off so long ago I forgot all about it. Haven't seen an add from AOL in ages.

This raises the quesion: WHY the hell are you on AO-HELL?

It should be disclosed to the public...

[adzoox]

I think these high living SPAM execs salaries should be as well known as say Apple Computer's compensation for Steve Jobs. You can almost gaurantee that these people don't report their full income on taxes or "do creative accounting" like - every penis enlargement pill that DOESN'T sell from an email solicitation - is actually a loss - justifying it by saying the record industry says that every download = a lost sale.

I would like to see the people that waste our time get what's due to them - spending every hour of my wasted time in court and in jail!

Re:It should be disclosed to the public...

[phunhippy]

Hot Dang!! every spam that doesn't sell is a lost sale? Damn!! I need to start spamming!! I really will PAY NO TAXES

WOOHOOOO!!!!!

where do i sign up?

aol hates spam?!

[hugzz]

when can i take the CEO of AOL's car for all those damn CDs they send me?

Re:aol hates spam?!

[MMaestro]

when can i take the CEO of AOL's car for all those damn CDs they send me?

When AOL doesn't have to pay millions of dollars in manufacturing, packaging, and postage most of which never pays off.

Re:aol hates spam?!

[Katieminna]

why not? I used to be a member of AOHell and I still was sent every CD known to man. I'm about to start maiking fun sculptures using AOL Cd's and a blow torch. Now, a new car would be nice to add to all the decorative art. :)

Re:aol hates spam?!

[Tassach]

Hell, I always just used them as archery or pellet gun targets.

Nice car, but...

[Paddyish]

I only want it if the spammer's gonads are hanging from the mirror like a pair of fuzzy dice.

Re:Nice car, but...

[AndroidCat]

If the spammer was Rodona Garst or Laura Betterly, I foresee a problem. Besides, even when possible, they'd have to be Hell's own air fresheners.

Re:Nice car, but...

[shadowbearer]

Yeah, that'd be a real chick magnet...

SB

Re:Nice car, but...

[Tackhead]

> > > I only want it if the spammer's gonads are hanging from the mirror like a pair of fuzzy dice.
> >
> > If the spammer was Rodona Garst [freewebsites.com] or Laura Betterly [cnn.com], I foresee a problem. Besides, even when possible, they'd have to be Hell's own air fresheners.
>
> Yeah, that'd be a real chick magnet...

First off, anyone married to Rodona or Laura would probably be begging "Take the gonads! Mine or hers, I don't care!"

And as for chick magnets, what Rodona and Laura may lack in magnetism, they more than make up for it in gravitation.

Promo for this competition...

[irokie]

Hi Sam,
youu may already have w0n b1g!!!
genuinne P0RSCHE!

click here to seee how to claim your pr1ze http://www.23fwdnvsoadaldsd%3ejdbf.com/

Love,
Sam

xcoiifidnbbibobdoodofn---

So next week

[redcaboodle]

the RIAA auctions P2P users iPods?

I want...

[Bilange]

Spammer's e-mail adress. >:)

That's weird

[Anonymous Coward]

1. Sell your customer address list to spammers
2. Sue the spammers
3. ???
4. Profit!

in the words of Cartman...

[bsDaemon]

...sweeeeeeeeet....

where is the money coming from

[dhuv]

I just want to know, who are these idiots that pay them to send out spam for them.

Why the Porsche?

[peterdaly]

My initial thought was since when can a private company seize private property? It seems they got it as part of a deal with the government...but that being said, why a $40k Porsche? It's said this guy made over $1M.

Mr Boe said the Porsche was seized mainly for its symbolic value, as the obvious fruit of an illegal trade.

Makes sense, and it's a great idea. Getting hundreds of thousands of dollars does not make an attention getting headline, and not have made slashdot. Taking his Porsche, now that's a headline grabber.

AOL is known for being marketing savy, and that's what this is about.

-Pete

Re:Why the Porsche?

[sjlutz]

IANAL, but my roommate is. The Porsche was probably part of the liquidation of assets. If they guy didn't have enough hard cash to pay the settlement/award to AOL, AOL can then start liquidating his assets to get all the money they were awarded. I don't know who gets to choice which particular assets get "disposed" of, but I guess AOL worked with the government to just keep the Porsche as a Porsche and not convert it into cash. The spammer probably made out on the deal also, as I believe the cost of turning assets back to cash would have been charged to the spammer. So instead of converted the $40K Porcshe into $30K cash or whatever someone would have bought it for minus the cost of selling it, the spammer probably got the full 'value' out of it.

Re:Why the Porsche?

[Zocalo]

Just because he allegedly made over $1M doesn't mean it's all available to AOL, how much was frittered away on entertainment for example? Also doesn't seizure of property to cover debt, including damages awarded by a court, require that non-essential assets are seized first. You can't just jump straight in and seize the debtor's home if they have a Porsche, even if that does cover the value of the debt exactly.

I think it far more likely that the spammer was told to pay AOL so much in damages and, when his liquid cash assets wouldn't cover it, dumped big ticket items like the Porsche first to make up the shortfall. Of course, if AOL were given a pick list of items to seize with approximate values, I'd certainly be ticking all the status symbols first. Hell, I'd settle for the Porsche and a court order stipulating he only drive a Yugo in future... ;)

Re:Why the Porsche?

[Anonymous Coward]

>> My initial thought was since when can a private company seize private property?

Not only didn't you read the article, you didn't even read the tickler.

"AOL won the car -- a $47,000 Boxster S -- as part of a court settlement against an unnamed e-mailer last year"

Re:Why the Porsche?

[chainsaw1]

IANAL, but I believe usually the dwelling/living quarters is protected by law... it can not be taken regardless of amount of debt. The worst they can do is make you refinance to remove all equity on the home. If you have multiple homes, however, I think they can take all but the one you are registered to be residing in (via voting registration, state of license, etc.)

Re:Why the Porsche?

[Anonymous Coward]

In California the Homestead law only protects PART of the house cost - Your house can be siezed if your equity is over the legal ammount - which when I lived there was about $38,000.

As for why the 02 Boxster S - It handles better the 02 Carrera convertible , and just as fast up until about 130-135MPH.

wrong message

[Cardinal Biggles]

So what AOL is telling people is... Spammers have Porsches! Spamming => money!

My next question as a newbie would be: so how do I become a spammer? Where do I apply & when can I start?

Re:wrong message

[Spacejock]

1. Find lots and lots of email addresses 2. Learn to spell common words really, really badly 3. ??? 4. Cl~!ck this l!nk and Pr0fit!!!

Re:wrong message

[That's Unpossible!]

So what AOL is telling people is... Spammers have Porsches! Spamming => money!

My next question as a newbie would be: so how do I become a spammer? Where do I apply & when can I start?

Are these the same people that think, "Hmmm, that bank robber just got busted, and HE had a million dollars! So how do I become a bank robber?"

Clearly both these people did something wrong, made money, and then got caught. I don't see this as a positive story for spammers.

Re:wrong message

[Patrik_AKA_RedX]

My next question as a newbie would be: so how do I become a spammer? Where do I apply & when can I start?

Spamm school at sea:
You want to be a spammer? Here take this heavy chain with steel ball and lock it securely around your neck. Now if you would take a few steps back please....

<splash!>

Next!

Re:wrong message

[dr_dank]

Clearly both these people did something wrong, made money, and then got caught. I don't see this as a positive story for spammers.

This story seems to be the exception to the rule. Think back to just about every mainstream spammer article that has been linked to Slashdot. Every one of them talks about the money and wealth the spammers accumulate (Ronnie Schelson's new Corvette, Scotty Richter's palacial home, etc). At least this shows the other side of the story: a spammer losing it all.

Does it come with a years supply of Viagra?

[MrIrwin]

Or has it been re-morgated several times at an interesting rate?

BTW, rumor has it that the GPS system auto-navigates to hot young sticky.......

I wouldn't want that porsche.

[ajutla]

Not in a million years. It'd give me bad karma. Think of it, it used to belong to a spammer? It'd be like, every day when I'd get into that car I'd feel the aura of that spammer's presence in there. As I'd be trying to drive I'd be interrupted by random flashes in my mind, flashes of male enhancement, low mortgages, and free pornography. It'd be a nightmare. The car would haunt me for as long as I drove it. I'd be terrified to drive it but would have to. Friends would say, "hey, nice porsche." I, however, would think, "gods, you have NO idea what it's like...it's not easy having a porsche...that was once owned by a spammer."

Re:I wouldn't want that porsche.

[Orgazmus]

Nah, its all about pride.
You drive a porshe that was TAKEN from a spammer.
You would drive around in a symbol of the spammers losses ;)

Re:I wouldn't want that porsche.

[i.r.id10t]

Do what I'd do - sell it and buy a real Porsche. :)

Porsche

[black mariah]

This car comes complete with...

• Plenty of insurance
• An elnarged... uh... 'exhaust'
• A Nigerian bank account
• A screensaver
• A trunk full of Viagra
• A low mortgage rate

AOL wants to have the exclusive right to spam

[Anonymous Coward]

...that's the whole point of it!

Girls love guys with big

[kernelblaha]

cars. 'Cos everyone knows that the size of the car is directly propotional to the size of the mailbox.

i'd rather buy...

[hot_Karls_bad_cavern]

...his testicles, for keeping.

Spammers

[panxerox]

As anyone can now be listed as a spammer by some aol customer clicking the wrong radio button, when will we see my 1977 Toyota up for auction.

Symbolic Value

[steveoc]

Quoting from the BBC article - "AOL says the Porsche has "symbolic value""

No shit !

ALL Porsches have symbolic value - that goes deeper than the badge.

If you ever get the chance to own a Porsche, especially an older model, then do spend some time digging around under the surface and get your hands dirty. Every single component of the car has a wonderful consistent feel to the design of it. You can see that a strong single mind stamped its presence on each design decision, right down to the choice of nuts and bolts.

Every peice of a Porsche is brutally simple, with no concessions made for fashion or cost. Its just like a really good peice of software.

Problem is, the Boxster is a damn fine car, but is perhaps the first real Porsche to have made concessions towards fashion and cost. (The VW 924 does not count, since it was a never meant to be a Porsche).

If you win the Porsche sweepstakes, then have a bit of fun in the Boxster, but then sell it, and use the money to get 1973 Carrera 2.4, or build up an insane 2.7ltr 911 RS replica. Then again, its your car, your dream, dont let me force my dream down your throat.

Having said that - whoever wins the Porsche sweepstakes needs to remember 1 very important thing - it is pronounced 'Porrr-Sch-A' not 'Porsh'. Calling a Porsche a 'Porsh' is like calling Bill Gates the 'inventor of the internet.'

Re:Symbolic Value

[Samael_666]

I totally agree with the statement above. The Carrera is the one and only real Porsche.
The Boxster is a much cheaper model, like some sort of a "poor man's Porsche"
And don't get me started on the Cayenne ! Ugh!

Re:Symbolic Value

[ljavelin]

I own a Boxster, not an "S".

It's a great car... excellent handling, great looks, and very reliable. Plus, it makes a great daily driver even in the crappy weather. I don't recommend you take a '73 Carrera out on salted, wintery roads.

You're right, the Boxster is a concession. Happily, it was something that I could afford. My non-S Boxster was bought new for about $45,000. For a Porsche, that's cheap.

Don't get me wrong - I'd love a '73 Carrera too. Just not as my daily driver. And since I have a boxster, it'd be hard to justify the Carrera.

OK, I have to go to work now! Yay! Too bad 34F is too cold to put the top down... hopefully this weekend.

Re:Symbolic Value

[iainl]

"it is pronounced 'Porrr-Sch-A' not 'Porsh'. Calling a Porsche a 'Porsh' is like calling Bill Gates the 'inventor of the internet.'"

Actually, I'd have said its significantly closer to weirdos pronouncing Jaguar as "Jag-wire", rather than "Jag-you-are", except not even half as annoying. Thank God there isn't any stupid way to mispronounce Lotus or TVR, that's all I say.

Re:Symbolic Value

[steveoc]

I hear what you are saying .. nothing wrong with 914's

There is a big difference between a "real" Porsche owner and the owner of a "real" Porsche.

The former can be found selling real-estate or insurance (or Spam), whilst the latter can be found under the car with a spanner, making minor suspension tweaks prior to taking a short trip to the supermarket to pickup some milk.

Down in my neck of the woods, the Cayenne is selling surprising well, but only amongst real estate agents, insurance salesmen, and people that play Golf. I not sure where Cayenne earns its badge - Porsche has always been about applying brute force engineering to a set of requirements, and has resulted in a wild variety of gear (the 917 moby dick, the Panther / Tiger / Elephant tanks of WW2, light aircraft engines, and of course the 911). Porsche is not always about cars, and it has never been about fashion.

Id have to assume that the Cayenne's requirements were "to extract the maximum amount of cash out of the pockets of worthless blots on society", in which case, they may well be acheiving their goals. (Apologies to Cayenne owners who actually do anything useful)

If you are looking for an affordable, modern, daily driver Porsche, then consider a temporary brand change and have a serious look at the BMW Mini Cooper - it totally Rocks ! Beneath all that over-the-top-concession-to-fashion there is some serious engineering going on.

Re:Symbolic Value

[Endive4Ever]

My car is paid for. I guess we know why you're rushing off to work, eh?

Re:Symbolic Value

[Anonymous Coward]

This is said exactly like someone who has never driven one! The Boxster S is considered to be one of the best handling cars in the world and you would be hard pressed to find someone who has had the opportunity to drive a lot of cars who doesn't have one on their top ten wish list.

Porsche started as a company making mid-engined rear wheel drive cars and the Boxster is the modern evolution of that. That is considered to be the ideal layout for a performance car, the engineers had a clean slate for the Boxster and that is what they went with.

Now go back to driving whatever lame commuter vehicle you are stuck driving day to day and leave the car comments to those who have a clue.

Ian.

P.S. Only posted anonymously because I've already moderated in this topic.

Re:Symbolic Value

[theLOUDroom]

(The VW 924 does not count, since it was a never meant to be a Porsche).

You seem confused. It's a Porsche 924.

I'm sorry but YOU don't get to decide what is and is not a Porsche. Porsche does that.

but is perhaps the first real Porsche to have made concessions towards fashion and cost.

The 924 and 944 did this first. In reality nearly ALL cars do this to a certain extent, otherwise every car Porsche makes would cost upwards of a million dollars.

I think the 944 is exactly the type of car that Porsche should start making again......something the average Joe might actually have a hope of buying, yet undeniably a "sports-car".

The 944 seems more like a Miata or an MG. It's also strangely similar to my '86 RX-7 :)
They're cars that may not obliterate everyone else in a stop-light drag race, but they are FUN!
They're the type of car that makes you want to take an hour long road trip, only to turn around and drive back.

Re:Symbolic Value

[Anonymous Coward]

Boxster S (w/PSM) is the second fastest PRODUCTION car in the world through the Road & Track slalom test. This makes it faster through the turns than all the Porsche Carrera models - including the GT2.

#1 car is the million dollar McClaren F1.

I personally have passed a 962 Carrera on Hoosier slicks with a Boxster S(PSM) on street tires on the outsaide of a Nascar turn. Of course that wasn't an RS America - but then again, you probably won't ever see Porsche make a lightweight Boxster - too much competition for the Carrera owners to handle.

Re:Symbolic Value

[Anonymous Coward]

I got a chance to 'encourage' a Cayenne S owner to take his behemoth up to about 120-125MPH on a clear (off season) drive down Cape Cod.

It looked very solid planted at speed and that V-8 engine sounds more like a 'real' Porsche than the Boxster engine. I got a real close look and listen as I passed him.

Us 'fake' Porsche owners have to stick together, I welcome all 914, 924/944/968, Cayenne owners to call themselves Porsche enthusiasts. The Cayenne isn't my first choice - but between a Cayenne and a pre-993 Carrera, I'd pick the Cayenne for the superior ride, handling and comfort.

Re:Symbolic Value

[Anonymous Coward]

I personally have passed a 962 Carrera on Hoosier slicks with a Boxster S(PSM) on street tires on the outsaide of a Nascar turn.

A good driver in a bad car can almost always beat a bad driver in a good car.

(Note: I did not say either one of those Porsches is a bad car!)

Re:Symbolic Value

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe because he likes being able to lay down $45,000 in cash for a new car.

A friend of mine got his Boxster the first year they came out and paid cash for it. I paid cash for my last new car (300ZX-tt back in 1991). I can hardly imagine buying a car on credit.

Re:Symbolic Value

[Anonymous Coward]

It's pronounced "hog-war", you fool.

Re:Symbolic Value

[Anonymous Coward]

"it is pronounced 'Porrr-Sch-A' not 'Porsh'. Calling a Porsche a 'Porsh' is like calling Bill Gates the 'inventor of the internet.'"

I suppose you call Japan 'Nippon' and Germany 'Deutschland'?

Even the people advertising the car (in this country) call it a 'Porsh', so why shouldn't I?

Re:Symbolic Value

[ljavelin]

My car is paid for. I guess we know why you're rushing off to work, eh?

My car is paid for too.

And yeah, I was rushing off to work because I like to be in the office by 10 AM. I thnk it's important to keep some kind of predicable work schedule. That's just how I am, and I like when my colleagues keep a predicable schedule too.

In any case, you're not really in a position to determine my financial sitation or my motivations for going to work at a particular time.

Re:Symbolic Value

[Endive4Ever]

Hot dawg. Yer one of those successful peepul I read about in the paper.

Really, though, what does get you motivated?

Re:Symbolic Value

[steveoc]

On a different note entirely ...

I just heard that someone has dared entered a 1973 RSR in the worlds greatest street race - Targa Tasmanii (starts in mid april). The race goes for a couple of weeks, and usually involves a good deal of carnage .. brave man .. there were only 12 RSR's built in that model.

http://www.targa.org.au

Nice to see a good selection of Minis still competing :)

If you get the chance, watch some of it on TV, or follow the website - most recommended.

Re:Symbolic Value

[Anonymous Coward]

I wish they brought back the 944. The front engine, rear wheel layout is much better for handling than the typical Porsche rear-engine, rear-wheel layout.

The Porsche 944 is by far the best handling one...now if only they put a decent engine in it....

The spammer's name won't be confidential...

[dcavanaugh]

If the winner chooses to disclose the VIN number. Armed with that, I'm sure some "researchers" can get the ownership history.

Re:The spammer's name won't be confidential...

[TheJavaGuy]

Forget about the confidentiality of the spammer's name. I'm wondering how AOL has the rights to confiscate his/her car to begin with.

Re:The spammer's name won't be confidential...

[Technonotice_Dom]

If this was some other site I'd say RTFA but no... this is /.

It's only the second paragraph!

AOL won the car - a $47,000 Boxster S - as part of a court settlement against an unnamed e-mailer last year.

As suggested elsewhere, presumably AOL asked for these assets not to be liquidated.

what they don't tell you

[Karem Lore]

is that it comes with financing that still needs to be payed...In fact, the trunk contains a briefcase that contains a list of AOL email addresses to help with the financing of the car...

unidentified spammer gonna be identified

[Anonymous Coward]

Is this legal? If the spammer was unnamed as part of the deal, then the car's serial number will be a dead giveaway to the spammer's identity.

Re:unidentified spammer gonna be identified

[BCW2]

In Russia they say: Toughshitsky

Re:unidentified spammer gonna be identified

[Bartman_205]

::gets his mace:: say good bye to mr. spammer

All we need now is the Spammer's address...

[Maestro4k]

Just imagine the fun of driving by his (assuming it's a he) house in his former Porsche blowing the horn and flagging him a bird -- every morning. Why hell, he's a spammer, make that around 3am every morning, and drop off a printout of your daily spam on his doorstep for good measure. :)

Yes I know it'd probably be at least partially illegal, but it'd be great fun to watch his pop a vein. :)

Re:All we need now is the Spammer's address...

[spood]

Once you have the car, you can research the ownership history using the VIN and get his address. Happy hunting.

Re:All we need now is the Spammer's address...

[Anarcho-Goth]

make that around 3am every morning, and drop off a printout of your daily spam on his doorstep for good measure. :) Yes I know it'd probably be at least partially illegal

Why settle for Partially Illegal, wrap the spam around a brick and um.... nevermind.

Guess!

[Rui del-Negro]

AOL is putting up a Porsche it seized from a spammer last year in a sweepstakes.

And of course, they're telling everyone about it by sending out mass e-mails.

RMN
~~~

Shouldn't that be...

[ArsenneLupin]

What next -- 'Spammer's House' in another sweepstakes?

Shouldn't that be Spammer's trailer instead ?

Reality TV-Be A Spammer

[f0rt0r]

6 Average Joe's will be chosen to compete in a "who's the best spammer" competition. Contestants will be judged on who successfully harvests the most email addreseses ( be creative ! ), sends the most spam emails out( think open relays! ), and how many Lusers actually click on the links in the email( think 'click here to enlarge your (breasts|penis)!' ). Contestants can vote each other off the show for trying to use opt-in mailing lists or for following truth-in-advertising guidelines.

Sign up at icanspam@beaspammer.tv to be a contestant!

Meh

[Greyfox]

The car is nice and all but what I'd really like is a spammer's organs. Mine work fine but you can never have too many organs. So AOL, next time you go after a spammer, go for the organs.

if you want to be ANAL, then

[Anonymous Coward]

at least be correct: the comma goes inside the "quotes," please.

Re:if you want to be ANAL, then

[Anonymous Coward]

Sentences start with capital letters, please.

Screw the Porsche...

[borius]

...and give me some free Viagra!

You missed the point

[Anonymous Coward]

The point isn't that the spammer had a Porsche (note that nowhere does it say the spammer purchased the Porsche using the proceeds from spamming) but rather the spammer's business doesn't produce enough income to allow him not to have his property seized.

Spamming doesn't pay. At least not for the spammers themselves. That's why they file for bankruptcy a few weeks after testifying to Congress about the vast riches they make spamming.

Re:You missed the point

[Anonymous Coward]

I wouldn't put much stock in AOL's assertion the spammer made $1 million from spamming either. Sounds like wishful thinking. They're probably parroting what the spammer was claiming, which should be taken with a grain of salt.

Never get rid of the smell

[jridley]

This will be like the stinky car episode of Mythbusters; you'll never be able to quite get the smell out of this car.

Couldn't afford a 911 ?

[iamthemoog]

[flamebait] So - a hairdresser and a spammer...? Who'd have thought it... [/flamebait]

Anyone see the irony in this?

[Anonymous Coward]

AOL became the king of ISP's (well for a little while anyhow), by being the biggest junk-mailer, sending out millions of their AOL CDs to everyone they could get an address for. Now they are seizing the property of junk emailers. Lol.

Well, I guess they would argue the difference is, AOL paid the post office for the mailings, whereas spammers 'defrauded' AOL of it's bandwidth. Whatever.

In Other news....

[CodePyro]

Spammers have been phishing(stealing credit card information) from dumb AOL users...its been reported that some have even bought Porches with these stolen CCs.....but that might also be attributed to the lower interest rates...

I'm sorry...

[chjones]

Internet giant AOL has ratcheted up the war against unsolicited e-mail with a publicity-grabbing coup...

Shouldn't that be 'a publicity-grabbing coupe'?

Boxster is a poseur mobile

[Anonymous Coward]

For those who can't quite afford a real Porsche. If you're in that bracket go for a Honda S2000.

so does it come equiped with...

[clarkc3]

Does the porsche come equiped with AOL's top speed technology?

And the custom license plate reads...

[T5]

What else? SPAMCAN

Great!

[MacFury]

Spammer's Balls Up For Grabs

Great! You might finally be able to get a pair. :-)

Just like old times.

[YouHaveSnail]

This seems to me to be very much like the ancient custom of displaying someone's head on a pike in the town square. Sure, many of us would prefer that AOL stay even closer to that tradition, but offering up some spammer's Porche isn't a bad start.

There are two important aspects to this action. First, AOL sending a clear warning to other spammers. "Stay off our network or your house may be next." Second, AOL is appeasing and entertaining its customers. "Be glad you're an AOL customer, because we're actually doing something about spam."

It's all deliciously medieval.

Re:Just like old times.

[Anonymous Coward]

Hey, I think it's cool. AOL could so easily have sold off the car, but chose to give it away to some lucky customer instead.

I'm starting to feel a little strange....

[StressGuy]

S...s..somebody g..get my m..medi...cation...AOL's st..starting to l...l...look cool.....
.
HEAD FOR THE LIGHT JOE!!!....HEAD FOR THE LIGHT!!!

What about tipping?

[Thinkit4]

Maybe it's not so simple after all. Oh, and magnatune, blender...

mark my words

[WormholeFiend]

Slashdotters are laughing now, but just wait until the RIAA/MPAA take a cue from AOL and start liquidating pirates assets...

(Well, at least, if more actors are caught "lending" their preview copies of movies, we could end up with some pretty nice lottery items.)

Re:mark my words

[DonGar]

One difference. Spammers are making money, and so have nice stuff.

The real pirates (selling illegal copies) are also making money, but that's not who the RIAA/MPAA is chasing. So how exciting is it going to be when they raffle off a "1987 Toyota with only 3 rust spots and 120k miles"?

Re:mark my words

[ms_drives_me_mad]

screw the RIAA - longlive P2P.

Re:mark my words

[Guppy06]

What are they going to sell? My CD burner that's the equivalent of 5 or 6 burners?

Will it be 5 or 6 times the price tag?

Re:mark my words

[shark72]

"The real pirates (selling illegal copies) are also making money, but that's not who the RIAA/MPAA is chasing."

The RIAA has always been chasing the big guys of the pirating world -- the ones who run the duplicating houses and sell their wares in Times Square -- and they still do. However, many people incorrectly assume that their recent suits against file sharers come at the exclusion of all other activities. This is probably because we don't read about those sorts of things on Slashdot. However, it was pretty trivial to find these stories on the RIAA web site:

http://www.riaa.com/news/newsletter/021804.asp

http://www.riaa.com/news/newsletter/122303.asp

http://www.riaa.com/news/newsletter/121603.asp

There are more cases which aren't listed on the RIAA web site because it's law enforcement who are handling the job, with little or no help from the RIAA. Anybody who is interested can find plenty by googling on "criminal copyright infringement indictment."

ewww

[jhagler]

Yeah, but the Mythbusters proved you can't get the smell out.

Okay.

[mindstrm]

Good idea.

Except Apple Inc. is publicly traded, and has to disclose such things by law. A private company does not.

So.. where then do we draw the line between spammers and every other privately run business out there? Require complete financial transparency for everyone? Your salary at the quickie-mart? Your full income as a private consultant?

etc.

Well that tells us one thing

[Anonymous Coward]

Since he got a Boxster it just tells the whole world that as a spammer he didn't make enough to get a 911.

Panties

[Anonymous Coward]

Boxster, the Porsche with panties!
An extra 10-15K and you can be a man and drive a 911.
This is one spammer that spent a lot of time at goat.cx

Please not the House!

[sbowles]

I wouldn't want to deal with all of the junk mail.

here's another spammer...

[Anonymous Coward]

this guy sends out spam advertising his board review classes, and will not remove me from his list (despite many requests, and emails to his ISP):

David Tarlow, MD,PhD,JD
800-633-8378
314-416-4613
314-580-461 3 (cell)
tarlowd@fpboards.com

fpboards@earthlink.com

Not to be negative

[Bendebecker]

But I hear Boxsters aren't good cars. They have all kinds of problems and are in need of almost constant repair. Since the parts have to be shipped from germany or something, all those repairs cost a fortune. End result: tag an extra 10 grand to the price tag to get the real cost of it.

Just Send US Your Name and E-Mail...

[Tiresias_Mons]

...and be entered to win this BRAND NEW CAR!!!

Well, not brand new per se, but I'm sure you see where I'm taking this. Sure, its a great publicity stunt, but its probably also just a stunt to get more names on their list of people to spam.

Spammer's House

[OrangeCarrot]

What next -- 'Spammer's House' in another sweepstakes?.

Most spammers hide in Florida. Why Florida? Because in Florida you cannot take someone's house like you can take thier Porche or pet monkey or whatever. So, don't expect to see a house on the block.

still expensive

[VanillaCoke420]

It's still an expensive cost for anyone who win a spammer's Porsche. I mean, you have to pay handsomely to have a cleaning and antiseptic firm clean its interior.

dumbass

[nxs212]

He should leased the car instead and written off its $800 per month payments as business expense.

47k for a Boxster S? He must have 14" rims, no navigation system, no heated seats, crappy sound, etc.

GROWBIG

[www.sorehands.com]

Or was it ICANSPAM?

If I had the money...

[Lobsang]

I would buy the Porsche and put a vanity tag saying:

"SPAMSUX"

Just for the irony...

Of course, I can't afford to pay for the vanity tag, so I think this will only be a dream...

AOL should notify everyone by e-mail!

[DickBreath]

AOL should notify everyone about this sweepstakes by sending them an e-mail!

Whats next.. ?

[Borg453b]

How about the spammers head?

Re:It's not Enough!

[fishbowl]

"If this guy still has a shirt on his back I'm not satisfied. I want this individual homeless, destitute and vomiting in a gutter while soiling his only pair of underwear, forced to consist on canned meat and maddog."

I'd settle for a Mitnick-style ban on the use of technology!

Remember MTV's "Foreclose On A Yuppie" promo?

[Anonymous Coward]

Back in the 80s they gave away some yuppie's pad, and part of the gimmick was you showed up and "threw" him out.

Organs.

[rhiorg]

"Spammer's Internal Organs" is an auction I'd like to see.

A spammer's porsche? big whoop!

[DulcetTone]

How about a spammers head on a stake? tone

how to enter the contest...

[The Lynxpro]

The article didn't mention where to enter the contest at once on AOL. You have to type in "Keyword: SPAM" to even find it. The contest does not appear on the Welcome *splash screen* once you logon AOL. You do have to be an AOL subscriber, but I'm sure that's not a problem because collectively, there's probably a few million AOL discs out there amongst all of us Slashdotters...

Think about it..

[Rexdude]

The fact that he made a million off spam and got himself a Porsche shows how many doofuses are out there who actually buy whats advertised on spam!

Anyone working at Yahoo, AOL

[Anonymous Coward]

who is reading this:

please do not allow spammers to use your aol and yahoo email accounts as email addresses in the contact info for the website registrations of web sites appearing in the body of the emails.

You need to make it possible for users to

forward to abuse@aol.com and abuse@yahoo.com, the web site addresses contained within the spam, along with the relevant whois info, that clearly shows the spammer's domain records that contain technical, owner, or other contacts that are using aol or yahoo email addresses as the reply to's.

You need to make it possible for me to forward the body of a spam message, containing the web site address in the body, and the whois info appended at the bottom, that shows the email address of yahoo or aol (ie:richter@yahoo.com), so that upon my complaint, or upon enough complaints, you can

cancel the email address
and

notify the registrar that the domain address no longer contains valid contact information
and then you need to

put pressure on the registrars to disable the domain if valid information is not supplied

A great many of the spams I'm receiving contain web site urls within the body of the spam message, and when I perform a whois on the domain address, a great many (so many that it is disturbing) of the email addresses listed as contact info are yahoo addresses (and a lesser but still large number are AOL email addresses).

So Yahoo, and AOL, you need to

stop allowing spammers to use Yahoo and AOL email addresses in the domain registration contact info

You need to actively cancel the email addresses of the individuals listed as contacts in the registration info of web sites that are promoted through spam

You need to enable us to report this

You need to pressure the registrars to drop or disable the registrations of spammers due to the lack of valid contact information

You need to "out" the registrars who refuse to help

You need to make it easy, and efficient for us to do this, similar to reporting spam to Spamcop

Yahoo, AOL, stop providing a safe haven for spammers through email addresses for domain registration contact info, and pressure everyone, registrars, ICANN, legislators, to make it possible to disable domains if registrations do not contain valid email contact info.

Unless, and until, you do this, you are still part of the problem, not part of the solution. Leave it to you to turn a spammer seizure into a marketing opportunity, and to retain customers, and to obtain new ones during the contest period.

When you start seizing a Porsche a week, we'll know you're making progress. Till then, its all still hot air, and you'll still be seen in my eyes, as companies that are still seeking ways to "monetize" spam.

It's been a long day. Maybe someone else can explain this better than me, if you can understand what I'm saying. Other than DomainPeople, Yahoo is almost always one of the email addresses listed as contact info for the domains I find in the body of the spam messages. AOL is in second place, but Yahoo is far and away the leader. Ghandi something is another one. DomainPeople actually answered me that they have no control over their customers registrations (even though I pointed out that the registration info is not correct), and that domain owners can do whatever they want.

it's one of Dr Fatburn's pals

[frankie]

It's from AOL's lawsuits in April 2003, which means the Porsche belonged to one of George Moore's affiliate spammers, possibly Michael Levesque.

Definitely didn't belong to Moore. He's here in Maryland, and his front men got a bigger cut than he did (example: on each $29 bottle of "herbal viagra", Moore paid $18 commission to the spammer)

you know whats really funny

[MichaelEvanchik]

Im sorry but they should really sell this and invest it in thier stock, cause really, nobody else will

Nom thats the 911 Turbo

[Slashamatic]

The boxter is just an expensive toy but the cheapest of the Porsche range. A real speed junkie would rather buy a 911 turbo secondhand and restore it.

However in the US, it is about as useful as a chocolate coffee-pot unless you had your own spot of desert to drive it on.

Way to go AOLhell

[heybo]

As bad as I hate AOL I must say the is a first that I say "Way to go AOL". It made me laugh so hard I peed on myself. I think auctioning the guys head would have even been better. I could hang his head to rot over my mail server.

I dont get it.....

[Anonymous Coward]

I really dont understand why AOL is so upset about someone's career involving potted meat food products. Shouldn't Hormel being suing AOL right back?!?

I dont think this should stand....i wouldn't be surprised to see the porche-taking ruling overturned in the apeals court. AOL should watch out, the luncheon meat industry will not take this lightly. ALL FEAR THE LUNCHEAN MEAT INDUSTRY.

But its a Boxster

[GnarlyNome]

Which is a chick ride think status Mieta

Hidden Costs

[Steve B]

Before you buy a ticket, make sure you have enough money to have the slime scrubbed off the upholstry.