[AM2000]

You probably already know this, but e-mail harvesting software is how people "find" e-mail addresses. From newsgroups, or even by just looking for patterns in intercepted HTTP traffic. The only cost is that of writing the software, once that's set up you just let it run and it harvests for you.

And then when you want to send spam, all you need is a list of addresses and an smtp server.

Or is there more to it and I just don't realize it?

[supercat]

You probably already know this, but e-mail harvesting software is how people "find" e-mail addresses.

Many of them, but sometimes they manage to get email addresses which are protected by various contrivances (e.g. in a web page, having the webmaster's address appear as a .gif). I guess they could be using an smtp intercept, though that would be sorta evil.

Still, I have a strong suspicion much more money is being made in the spam business than is being made in any other business by spamming.