Can A Bounty System Cure Spam?

dankinit writes "The FTC is considering a proposal made popular by Lawrence Lessig which would offer a bounty to people who help catch spammers. The proposal looks to harness the power of volunteers online who might want a piece of the multimillion dollar fines spammers could incur. Spamhaus founder Steve Linford doesn't like the idea though, explaining '...the FTC already has so much information on their identities that to get anymore would be useless.'"

Comments

In the words of Darth Vader

[Zorak Man]

"I want them alive... no disintegration." Oh to be a bounty hunter...

Bounty hunting time!

[MongooseCN]

Can A Bounty System Cure Spam?

Depends, will the FTC hand out Boba Fett type bounting hunting uniforms? I wouldn't mind starting a collection of Spammers In Carbonite on my walls.

Want to catch spammers?

[underpar]

Just answer a few simple questions and we'll send you this FREE spammer catcher software!

Spammers abusing the system

[bunburyist]

think about it: spammers start trying to catch each other for the bounty, and then they form these massive spamming groups (read gangs) that join up to get the bounty on other spammers...then you end up with a smaller group of REALLY powerful spammers...i gotta stop playing Mafia...

Dealing with Spammers

[Anonymous Coward]

They should all be locked up with men who have enlarged their penises, used viagra, and are looking for a meaningful relationship.

This was proposed already ...

[arhar]

.. in a great sci-fi book "Labyrinth of Reflections" by Sergey Lukianenko. Unfortunately, it hasn't been translated into English (yet), so I can't post a link ...

In the book, there's a funny bit about cyberworld residents meeting in a town hall by the Statue of a Last Spammer... built when the last spammer was exterminated by the bounty hunters. Being wise enough, the governments still decided to keep the bounty in effect AFTER the last spammer was caught.

Personally, I think this is crazy enough that it could work. Imagine the unlimited energies of 16 year olds who spend their days glued to the computer, chatting on IRC, cracking porn site passwords, doing various small-scale mischief and playing Counterstrike, directed towards catching spammers. All I can say is, that would be a BAD time to be a spammer.

Forward this article..

[bl8n8r]

To 10 of your closest friends and recieve money from Microsoft and the FTC!! It really works!! I know you got email like this before, but this one is the real thing!