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Lycos Anti-Spam Screensaver Brings Down Spam Sites

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the online-vigilantes dept.

ChairmanMeow writes "According to BBC News, the screensaver released by Lycos Europe that targets spam websites has been a bit too successful at targeting spam sites, bringing down two sites, with a third responding intermittently, and raising concerns that the screensaver amounts to a DDoS attack against spam sites. Of course, spammers deserve to be punished, but will DDoS attacks against spam websites help to curb the problem of spam?" While the screensaver allegedly throttles back when a site slows, it would seem it's being a bit overzealous.

9 of 715 comments (clear)

  1. Bad? No way. by Malevolyn · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's nothing illegal. Just packet spam.

    --
    Your ad here.
    1. Re:Bad? No way. by name773 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Spam is a bit harsh; the lycos screensaver is a legitimate bulk packet sender.

    2. Re:Bad? No way. by severoon · · Score: 5, Funny

      Well, wait a minute. It's clearly unethical if the screensaver sends random data to these spammers web sites--that's clearly a DDoS attack. On the other hand, if it's not random data and it's, say, business opportunities and offers of various useful products that the spam sites might want to know about, I'd say this screensaver is providing a valuable service to them!

      --
      but have you considered the following argument: shut up.
    3. Re:Bad? No way. by ArcticCelt · · Score: 5, Funny

      I think we are on something here! The screen saver should send something through the GET like:
      http://www.spamersite.com/?do_you_want_to_increa se_you_bandwich_by_three_full_gb

      --

      Yahh, hiii haaaaa! -Major Kong, from Dr. Strangelove
  2. OMG, you're right! by rackhamh · · Score: 5, Funny

    What a horrible thing to do to those friendly neighborhood spammers. :(

  3. I love spam by sparks · · Score: 5, Funny
    I am always interested in novel commercial propositions. There's nothing I love more than seeing what exciting offers are available in the way of bodily enhancement, alternative medicines, and high-return investment opportunities.

    Don't you feel the same? I'm sure you do.

    Wouldn't it be great if someone would create a screensaver that would automatically visit the websites of the vendors of these enticing offers and display them on my screen? I'm a fast reader so it would be great if it could show a few each second.

    That way, I'd be able to read all about their exciting products without having to do anything at all.

    If there was such a screensaver, maybe lots of people would download it. After all, I'm sure we're all interested in the products on offer. And what e-entrepeneur wouldn't want to have thousands of interested potential customers visit his web site every second?

  4. Re:Worrying by raehl · · Score: 5, Funny

    line will creep down at Internet speed.

    African internet speed or European internet speed?

    --
    paintball
  5. Re:Hmm. by legirons · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Using a DDOS on spammers is kind of like sending an arsonist to burn down the house of a murderer..."

    except without the fires and dead people...

  6. Re:Quick! by oexeo · · Score: 5, Funny

    All those links are down, do you have any mirrors?