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Meet Millionaire Spammer Jeremy Jaynes
prostoalex writes "Associated Press profiles Jeremy Jaynes, charged with sending out unsolicited e-mail messages, who just got a 9-year jail term recommendation from the state jury. With the help of 16 'high-speed' lines (Associated Press probably meant T1s) Jaynes would send out 10 million e-mails a day. His best month in terms of gross income netted him $750,000. Acccording to the article, 'In a typical month, prosecutors said during the trial, Jaynes might receive 10,000 to 17,000 credit card orders, thus making money on perhaps only one of every 30,000 e-mails he sent out. But he earned $40 a pop, and the undertaking was so vast that Jaynes could still pull in $400,000 to $750,000 a month, while spending perhaps $50,000 on bandwidth and other overhead, McGuire said. "When you're marketing to the world, there are enough idiots out there" who will be suckered in, McGuire said in an interview.'"
"When you're marketing to the world, there are enough idiots out there."
And PT Barnum's top competitor said, "There's a sucker born every minute."
I've pretty much lost hope for the species.
Our nation's leader is a criminal: he was awol from the national guard, was a drug abuser and alcoholic, and is currently engaging in all manner of political corruption and corporate malfeasance. It breeds disrespect for the law at all levels of society. Everyone recognizes a thug when they see one.
I'd like to tell you being a wealthy thug makes Bush less attractive to people, but the truth is that people are attracted to power for all kinds of sadly genetic reasons. I know staunchly liberal women that have suggested to me that they think it might be fun to "party" with the prez. That freaks me out quite a bit - but I do understand the genetic attraction to power even so.
Bill Gates stole most of Windows functionality from others. Stole it outright, or reversed it. He's a slightly slippery case because some of the things he pilfered were not well protected in law when he actually stole them - but that doesn't change the ethical considerations at all. Most people would have behaved differently - in fact, the relative peace we enjoy in our society is predicated on the fact that most people behave differently. But anyway, Gate's is filthy rich and was recently knighted for his "service" to the queen. The downside please...?
You don't have to be a genius to realize that might makes right in our world. Might is usually some reflection of money. And to many, might is wildly attractive.
While ghetto kids ride beemers thanks to drug money, and while riding beemers equals getting the bitches, and while nailing bitches remains a favorite activity for the young and hormone-crazed - laws don't mean dick, and money/power means everything.
Spammers are just the geek version of the same equation.