Spam rage drives some e-mailers to extremes (some?)

USA Today | Feb. 12, 2004 | Jon Swartz

[Teacher317]

30-to-life for spam- and virus-spreaders... would either fail to muster 70% of the popular vote?

(Sometimes I short-sightedly like the idea of a pure democracy)

[plastic_positive]

my replies:

1: 5 or so, but I spend a lot of energy on filters.

2: I want to charge them for my time, frankly.

3: Yes, since the evidence we can see says he broke the law, and I don't believe in jury nullification.

4: yes, the charges never should have been brought.

[plastic_positive]

virus spreaders are the worst, I think, how can anyone be so f--king stupid to open an attachment in this day and age? anyone who spreads a virus should be responsible for the costs of cleaning up their mess. If you can't be bothered to pay attention, buy protection, it's 30 bucks a year.

[Elsie]

If you can't be bothered to pay attention, buy protection, it's 30 bucks a year.

Why???

We have these wonderful machines that have penetrated at least 50% of all US households.....

HMmm...$30 times 25,000,000 homes = a LOT of loot for SOMEONE!!!!!!

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For what we are paying NOW for ISP's, the virus killin' thingy should be delivered to us FREE each time we login!!!!!!!!!!

[spacewarp]

I was tired of a spammer ignoring my repeated requests to be taken off his spamming list. I went through all the proper steps, and some less proper. I started e-mailing him directly. Then, I eventually got tired of that. I looked up his information in a whois search and found the contact info. Once I found that, I then did a white-pages lookup for his name in Florida where he operates. There were two numbers listed at his address. I called the first one and left a message stating that unwanted e-mails would result in much more severe actions, including fraud charges and arrest by the PBSO. Then I called the other number. It was his daughter's line. I asked her if her father was the same name as I had found, and if he worked for the company I had found. She said yes. I asked her if she knew what her father did for a living. She said "He writes software that makes people feel good." I then told her that her father was actually one of the biggest spammers in the nation, responsible for sending all sorts of e-mails to people. She called for her mother. I explained to the wife what her husband's business did. She was stunned. I then told her that some of the e-mails were ones I had to explain to my 3 year old son that he needed to not be watching over my shoulder because I didn't want him seeing people in those positions. She then called her husband to the phone. I told him that the game was up, and his family knew what he did. He just hung up the phone. I never got another e-mail from him.

Paul

[steve-b]

Spammers should be made outlaws in the old-fashioned sense of the term (i.e. outside the protection of the law, to be punished by anyone who cares to do so without recourse).

[plastic_positive]

so complain to your ISP, it's a free country, if you can find and ISP that provides virus-protection included, take your custom there. I certainly don't think that virus protection should be mandatory, only if you choose not to have that protection, and your actions cause harm to me, I want compensation for your negligence. (not you specifically, of course, the royal you)

[Elsie]

I certainly don't think that virus protection should be mandatory, only if you choose not to have that protection, and your actions cause harm to me, I want compensation for your negligence. (not you specifically, of course, the royal you)

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So, using cars as an example, I really don't need an air cleaner to be able to run my vehicle, but the manufacturer starts me out with one anyway. Some brands even include oil and air filter changes in the purchase price of the vehicle, so, if I wanted that 'assurance', I could buy from a builder who had that feature of their business plan.

[plastic_positive]

--So, using cars as an example, I really don't need an air cleaner to be able to run my vehicle, but the manufacturer starts me out with one anyway. Some brands even include oil and air filter changes in the purchase price of the vehicle, so, if I wanted that 'assurance', I could buy from a builder who had that feature of their business plan.--

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And sure, if you want to pay more up front for a lifetime of oil changes and filter changes, go right ahead. I choose not to, because I change my own oil, and my own filters, when needed. I don't pay jiffy lube or whoever to do that. But if you think the oil changes and air filters are really free, you are sorely mistaken. And if you can't be bothered to go every three months to Jiffy Lube, I suggest you buy the changes up front, it's good for you in the long run. If you don't want to change your oil, it doesn't bother me much, it's your property to wreck as you see fit, there is no added cost to me. If your engine seizes up, it costs me nothing. If you don't maintain your brakes, and run a red light and hit me, that becomes my problem.

[Boot Hill]

spacewarp:   "I never got another e-mail from him."

I am very impressed with the way you handled yourself when dealing with the spammer's family. You've elevated the "does your mother know what you do for a living" argument to new heights!

--Boot Hill