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Microsoft Will Sell Whitelist Services For Hotmail

Posted by timothy on from the get-what-you-pay-for dept.

Ec|ipse writes "Looks like Microsoft has found another way to make money, this time from spam. Microsoft has adopted a "whitelist" program (Bonded Sender by IronPort) which will allow marketers to pay Microsoft so that they are included on a special whitelist, guaranteeing uninteruptable delivery of their messages to Hotmail and MSN users. You can catch the full article at Excite. I especially like the nice naming for spammers, calling them 'marketers' sounds so much more legitimate." mgibbs adds "Hopefully the $20K fine that results from abuse of this system is enough to deter spammers."

7 of 380 comments (clear)

  1. It's also a list to avoid! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Get a hold of the whitelist, and you can immediately add it to your OWN spam filter! Nice of Microsoft to offer to collect all, umm, marketers in one place...

    1. Re:It's also a list to avoid! by scrytch · · Score: 3, Funny

      > Actually, they play both sides of the fence.

      I know, just look at that feature list. Header forgery. Message obfuscation. Relay and proxy discovery and use. Listwashing.

      Oh wait. Those aren't there. It's just really fast. String 'em up anyway, no one's got business sending that much email!

      --
      I've finally had it: until slashdot gets article moderation, I am not coming back.
  2. You know, by mcc · · Score: 3, Funny

    I was *just* recently sitting here and wondering if there was anything Microsoft could have done to squander the product, userbase and public goodwill MS inherited when they bought Hotmail that they haven't done already.

    I couldn't think of anything

    I guess I'm just not as imaginative as MS.

    I'll bet the GMail team is doing a little dance of joy at reading this /. article right now..

    --
    Irritable, left-wing and possibly humorous bumper stickers and t-shirts
  3. FREE VA.LIUM X-A-N-A-X no P R E S C R I P T I O N by RucasRiot · · Score: 4, Funny

    I cert.ainl.y H-O-P-E th4t it d0es a G o o d job

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    Props to GNAA!
  4. So THAT's why Longhorn will require WiFi! by VernonNemitz · · Score: 2, Funny

    When I first read that tidbit yesterday, I assumed it was so Microsoft could snoop on all future Windows machines. Now in ADDITION to that potential, they can beam you uninterruptible spam!

    So, is there any chance that if those features are advertised widely, fewer people will buy Longhorn?

  5. Somehow this puts me in mind of a proverb by JosKarith · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm thinking about the one involving putting the fox to guard the chickens.
    Seriously, I hope this convinces people to not use Hotmail etc - now with guaranteed spam...

    --
    'Don't worry' said the trees when they saw the axe coming, 'The handle is one of us.'
  6. off topic, reply to sig by PsiPsiStar · · Score: 2, Funny

    Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do.

    You've never driven in Pittsburgh.

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    It's the end of my comment as I know it and I feel fine.