AOL, MICROSOFT, YAHOO teaming up to stop SPAM!

[Mike AI]

http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/cb_hea...htm&footer_file (http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/cb_headline.cgi?&story_file=bw.042803/231185372&directory=/google&header_file=header.htm&footer_file)

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

DULLES, Va. & REDMOND, Wash. & SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 28, 2003--


Industry Leaders Together Tackle the Problem of Unsolicited Commercial E-Mail To Help Consumers Fight Spam

America Online (NYSE "AOL"), Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq "MSFT") and Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq "YHOO"), today announced their commitment to work together and with other industry stakeholders to help fight "spam." Spam is unsolicited commercial e-mail, often sent by fraudulent means, that compromises the quality of consumers' online experience and burdens consumers and businesses worldwide.
The announcement these three companies have made today is a first step toward a broader online industry effort to address spam. The group will initiate an open dialogue that will include organizations across this industry to drive technical standards and industry guidelines that can be adopted regardless of platform.
The group will initially focus on four key areas to combat spam:

Protecting Consumers From Receiving Spam

To reduce the volume of unwanted e-mail arriving in users' inboxes, the companies will work with others in the industry to do the following:


-- Prevent the ability of spammers to use deceptive techniques in e-mail headers specifying the e-mail sender, by leveraging existing directories of Internet addresses such as the Domain Name System to better identify the location from which e-mail is originating.
-- Inhibit e-mail from systems determined to be open to unauthorized use (such as open relays, open routers or open proxies)
-- Restrict mail that utilizes concealment techniques designed to hide or change the identity of the sender and the source of the mail

Preventing the Use of E-mail Services to Send Spam

Together, these companies will focus on solutions that will significantly reduce the ability of spammers to use AOL, Microsoft and Yahoo!'s e-mail services to send spam. In addition, the group will encourage the adoption of these best practices by others in the industry. To accomplish this, the companies will work with others in the industry to do the following:

-- Eliminate the ability to create fraudulent e-mail accounts in
bulk

-- Work to define a mechanism that could allow the exchange of
consumer complaints and feedback between e-mail providers

-- Define best practices for antispam e-mail account policies
that can be shared across the industry

Commercial E-mail Standards

AOL, Microsoft and Yahoo! will work together with companies that communicate with consumers and businesses through e-mail to recommend technical approaches, policies and best practices to distinguish legitimate e-mail from spam.

Enforcement

AOL, Microsoft, and Yahoo! will continue actively working with law enforcement to enhance their enforcement efforts against spammers who rely on fraudulent means of transmission to circumvent antispam filters or otherwise violate applicable law. The goal of this effort will be to make these spammers more accountable, as well as to deter would-be spammers from using such "outlaw" techniques to send their mail to consumers. The companies will work to accomplish this in the following ways:

-- Development of better mechanisms for preserving electronic
evidence relating to the activities of such spammers, in order
to facilitate enforcement actions brought by industry and by
law enforcement

-- Coordination among ISPs and industry in their respective
antispam enforcement efforts in order to help ensure that
resources are most effectively deployed against spam senders
who cause the greatest impact on consumers

-- Similar coordination in the referral of spammers for
enforcement action by government, including civil enforcement
agencies charged with dealing with particular types of spam
frauds (such as stock scams and get-rich-quick schemes), and,
where appropriate, criminal enforcement

The companies believe that the issue of spam can only be significantly addressed through a comprehensive approach, including technology, responsible customer communications, appropriate legislation, enforcement and consumer education.
AOL, Microsoft and Yahoo! are looking forward to the Federal Trade Commission's Spam Forum this week as a valuable opportunity to discuss solutions in a collaborative way. The event provides a forum for industry, government and technology to come together to address the spam problem and restore the integrity of Internet users' e-mail experience.

Comments

"At AOL, fighting spam is priority number one, because spammers are public enemy number one, both to us and to our members," said Ted Leonsis, Vice Chairman, America Online. "With this joint announcement, we are making a timely, bold and critical statement: spam is an industry-wide challenge, requiring industry-wide teamwork, in order to yield industry-wide solutions. By cooperating and collaborating together, we can make real progress against this toxin that pollutes the Internet environment."
"The time has come for competitors and the industry at large to work together to address the burden of spam," said David Cole, senior vice president, MSN and Personal Services, and antispam executive sponsor at Microsoft. "By bringing together different perspectives and expertise, we have a real opportunity to rebuild trust in email. I'm pleased to see AOL, Yahoo! and Microsoft take this positive step forward."
"Fighting spam is a priority for Yahoo! because we are committed to delivering to our users the highest quality products and services," said Dan Rosensweig, chief operating officer for Yahoo!. "Industry collaboration with AOL, Microsoft and other key stakeholders to collectively address this problem is an important step to helping protect people from spam and to enhance their online experience."

[T-Rav]

"At AOL, fighting spam is priority number one, because spammers are public enemy number one, both to us and to our members," said Ted Leonsis, Vice Chairman, America Online.

Wow, that seems like a little bit of an exaggeration. Spammers are public enemy number one, holy shit.

It never ceases to amaze me how much people hate spam.

Its just not that big of a deal to me. I've said it before and I'll say it again...Hit the freakin' delete button if you don't like it!

[DaveM]

Originally posted by T-Rav@Apr 28 2003, 11:16 AM
Its just not that big of a deal to me. I've said it before and I'll say it again...Hit the freakin' delete button if you don't like it!
I use to feel that way too, but add up the cost in lost productivity. It may take only a minute a day to weed out the spam in your inbox, but multiply that by the millions who have to do it daily and that adds up to some serious real cost.

[T-Rav]

I don't know DaveM. I have my business email address that I don't put anywhere on the Internet. I get almost no spam to that account. Maybe one or two per week.

I have several other accounts that I use to register for different things, those obviously get much more spam...but I only check those when I feel like going through and deleting spam.

I will say this, I'd much rather have email spam than the shit that fills up my snail mail box. I only check that about twice a month...and sometimes it fills up and the freakin' mail man bundles it up and takes it back to the post office. That pisses me off. If that happens I won't get my mail for another month, because I HATE the Post Office. Lazy bastards work at the post office...no offense to any Post Office workers reading this ;)..

[RichC]

Originally posted by DaveM+Apr 28 2003, 03:05 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (DaveM @ Apr 28 2003, 03:05 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteBegin--T-Rav@Apr 28 2003, 11:16 AM
Its just not that big of a deal to me. I've said it before and I'll say it again...Hit the freakin' delete button if you don't like it!
I use to feel that way too, but add up the cost in lost productivity. It may take only a minute a day to weed out the spam in your inbox, but multiply that by the millions who have to do it daily and that adds up to some serious real cost.[/b][/quote]
It is a time sucker that's for sure...

but how is it different the mail I get from the US Postal Service.

Sometimes I get so much junk mail, it damages my normal mail because they cram my box. I wouldn't be suprised if I've thrown out a check or two over the years simply because it was stuffed in a junk mail news ad.

At least you can opt out of receiving email.

Does the US Postal Office let you opt out of receiving junk mail?

[Peaches]

From what I've read, end users such as ourselves, while we hate the spam, deleting it isn't that big a deal. But the problem arises when spam clogs up networks. :(

[gonzo]

Originally posted by Peaches@Apr 28 2003, 12:58 PM
From what I've read, end users such as ourselves, while we hate the spam, deleting it isn't that big a deal. But the problem arises when spam clogs up networks. :(
Its good fried up with a little nanner on it every once in a while.
Its got a great shelf life.
The packaging is cool...so I dont know what the big deal is about it?

[sarettah]

Funny shit here because 99.999 percent of the spam I receive is from either AOL, Hotmail, or Yahoo addresses...

lololol....

[Peaches]

Originally posted by gonzo@Apr 28 2003, 05:28 PM
Its good fried up with a little nanner on it every once in a while.
Its got a great shelf life.
The packaging is cool...so I dont know what the big deal is about it?
Yeah, we had this conversation here a month or so ago, and folks talked me into trying my first taste of Spam. I sliced it and fried it and it was nasty. :barfon:

It has the worst texture - like mush. And like most women, I don't like my meat mushy! B)

[Mike AI]

Ironicly AOL and Microsfot are 2 of the bigger spammers for mainstream... I guess if you are a billion $$ company you can get away with it.

[DaveM]

Originally posted by Mike AI@Apr 28 2003, 02:58 PM
Ironicly AOL and Microsfot are 2 of the bigger spammers for mainstream... I guess if you are a billion $$ company you can get away with it.
With all the CDs they send out they're probably two of the biggest junk bulk mailers as well.

:D

[Mike AI]

SCHUMER TO INTRODUCE NEW ANTI-SPAM BILL
New York Senator Charles Schumer has announced plans to
introduce new anti-spam legislation that would create a
no-spam list similar to do-not-call lists. The legislation
would also require ADV subject lines and establish $5000
fines for failing to abide by the new requirements.

http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/74419.htm

[gonzo]

Originally posted by Peaches+Apr 28 2003, 01:47 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Peaches @ Apr 28 2003, 01:47 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteBegin--gonzo@Apr 28 2003, 05:28 PM
Its good fried up with a little nanner on it every once in a while.
Its got a great shelf life.
The packaging is cool...so I dont know what the big deal is about it?
Yeah, we had this conversation here a month or so ago, and folks talked me into trying my first taste of Spam. I sliced it and fried it and it was nasty. :barfon:

It has the worst texture - like mush. And like most women, I don't like my meat mushy! B)[/b][/quote]
They musta been Yankees cookin it up then.
I think Sweet T can talk the boys into bringing some with some fried green tomatos at Sylvias.

Now if you was talkin about that evil imposter Treat...thats not fit for a DAMN Yankee to eat.

[RawAlex]

If you read the annoucement carefully, they are working to block out spam with false or misleading headers. That makes up a huge portion of the stupid, repetitive, wasteful spam that clogs up computers, mail systems, and networks. SMTP isn't made to be very secure (it was designed well before the net was commercialized) and is easily abused.

On a daily basis, I get over 500 pieces of spam. Recently, someone was kind enough to spread my personal (private) email address around to spammers, and as a result, I am about to kill that account. Within a one week window, that account started getting 100 pieces per day.

Any single piece of spam isn't an issue. But figure this out: How many members does AOL have, times maybe 100 pieces of spam per user per day... think of the fun required to administer a mail system that large, and think of how much smaller that system would be without having to handle that much junk mail... (If my mail is any indication, there is about a 50 to 1 useful letter ratio, so AOL could easily shed 33% of it's mail system infrastructure and related costs if spam dropped down to more reasonable levels).

RichC: I would love to opt out. Most spammers use opt out lists as "live ones", and resell those lists to other spammers. You opt out of one, get 100 new ones to replace it. What's the point?

In Canada, the post office must respect your with for no spam. If you put a "no ad mail" sticker on your mailbox, they will not deliver anything in "bulk" class to your mail. Locally, that same sticker also keeps the door to door flyer people from dropping their little offerings all over your front step as well.

Alex

[JR]

RichC: I would love to opt out. Most spammers use opt out lists as "live ones", and resell those lists to other spammers. You opt out of one, get 100 new ones to replace it. What's the point?

its not paranoia if they *really are out to get you*

[Rolo]

If I was to hit the delete key each time a spam tries to enter my mailbox, then I would have to hit the delete key every 1 minute around the clock!
These days I receive 1300+ spams per day - I do have software to stop them, but I still waste bandwidth on the spams!

I live of the net, so I can take it, but if every surfer was to receive 1 spam every minute, then I´m sure that goverments would fall, if they didn´t do anything to stop it... just the amount of daily frustrations, wasted time in front of the computer, wasted bandwidth, and wasted hardware space runs up in BILLIONS...

[T-Rav]

Originally posted by Rolo@Apr 29 2003, 11:34 AM
If I was to hit the delete key each time a spam tries to enter my mailbox, then I would have to hit the delete key every 1 minute around the clock!
These days I receive 1300+ spams per day - I do have software to stop them, but I still waste bandwidth on the spams!

I live of the net, so I can take it, but if every surfer was to receive 1 spam every minute, then I´m sure that goverments would fall, if they didn´t do anything to stop it... just the amount of daily frustrations, wasted time in front of the computer, wasted bandwidth, and wasted hardware space runs up in BILLIONS...
Jesus...what in the hell do you do to receive 1300 spams per day. That's ridiculous.

Rolo, governments are not going to fall because of spam. Holy shit! That is a little bit of an exageration don't you think?

I am speechless, the spam debate gets me pissed off every time. Everyone whines and crys about it. And swears that spam is killing their children, and is responsible for starving children in Africa and the National Debt. I just don't think its that big of a deal.

[JR]

is this conversation about food?

i like spam.

spam.

mmmm... spam.

i want to make a big spam meat suit and run around naked wearing it. you wont know i am naked under my meat suit. it will be my little joke because no one will think "hey, he is naked under his meat suit". i will never change it. i will never wash it. just run and jump and run and jump and laugh. sometimes i will do cardio workouts and sweat alot in my meat suit.

[*KK*]

Funny how hotmail was built on email spam, and AOL was built on snail mail spam. I love how they've gone from sending cds in plastic wrap to sending them in nice little metal flip up boxes. And why in the fuck they are sending them to me is beyond me, since I have an AOL account already... that actually gets less spam than most of my other addresses.

[Anthony]

Originally posted by Rolo@Apr 29 2003, 08:34 AM
If I was to hit the delete key each time a spam tries to enter my mailbox, then I would have to hit the delete key every 1 minute around the clock!
These days I receive 1300+ spams per day - I do have software to stop them, but I still waste bandwidth on the spams!

I live of the net, so I can take it, but if every surfer was to receive 1 spam every minute, then I´m sure that goverments would fall, if they didn´t do anything to stop it... just the amount of daily frustrations, wasted time in front of the computer, wasted bandwidth, and wasted hardware space runs up in BILLIONS...
Rolo,

http://www.mailfrontier.com

Set it up to challenge any email that comes in. It will stop about 90plus percent of your spam problems.

I put it on my buddy's machines 2 days ago, he's happy as a pig in shit. From 300 spams a day down to 10.

As with any good war, one must know what your enemies are doing. Intelligence comes in handy.

[SykkBoy]

Originally posted by Anthony+Apr 29 2003, 02:41 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Anthony @ Apr 29 2003, 02:41 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteBegin--Rolo@Apr 29 2003, 08:34 AM
If I was to hit the delete key each time a spam tries to enter my mailbox, then I would have to hit the delete key every 1 minute around the clock!
These days I receive 1300+ spams per day - I do have software to stop them, but I still waste bandwidth on the spams!

I live of the net, so I can take it, but if every surfer was to receive 1 spam every minute, then I´m sure that goverments would fall, if they didn´t do anything to stop it... just the amount of daily frustrations, wasted time in front of the computer, wasted bandwidth, and wasted hardware space runs up in BILLIONS...
Rolo,

http://www.mailfrontier.com

Set it up to challenge any email that comes in. It will stop about 90plus percent of your spam problems.

I put it on my buddy's machines 2 days ago, he's happy as a pig in shit. From 300 spams a day down to 10.

As with any good war, one must know what your enemies are doing. Intelligence comes in handy.[/b][/quote]
hmmmm, do they have an affilaite program? ;)))

[RichC]

Alex, they should probably spam you a filter program maybe :unsure:

KK, they send them in case you wanna use it as a frisbee :yowsa:

[gonzo]

Originally posted by Rolo@Apr 29 2003, 08:34 AM
If I was to hit the delete key each time a spam tries to enter my mailbox, then I would have to hit the delete key every 1 minute around the clock!
These days I receive 1300+ spams per day - I do have software to stop them, but I still waste bandwidth on the spams!

I live of the net, so I can take it, but if every surfer was to receive 1 spam every minute, then I´m sure that goverments would fall, if they didn´t do anything to stop it... just the amount of daily frustrations, wasted time in front of the computer, wasted bandwidth, and wasted hardware space runs up in BILLIONS...
Fucking newbies 1300 emails aint dick. Try having a fucking email address thats been good for almost 10 years.

[JR]

Originally posted by gonzo@Apr 29 2003, 12:47 PM

Fucking newbies 1300 emails aint dick. Try having a fucking email address thats been good for almost 10 years.
thats nothing... when i was your age, we didn't have electronic spam. we couldn't afford it. we had to write notes on rocks and throw them at each other... and every time we got smacked in the head by a rock with "hi neighbor" carved on it, we were damned happy for it. it was embarrasing to walk in the door without lacerations on our heads, eyes swollen shut and blood running down our face. it meant we had no friends.

[kath]

Originally posted by RawAlex@Apr 29 2003, 07:51 AM
In Canada, the post office must respect your with for no spam. If you put a "no ad mail" sticker on your mailbox, they will not deliver anything in "bulk" class to your mail. Locally, that same sticker also keeps the door to door flyer people from dropping their little offerings all over your front step as well.

Alex -

They used to do that here (US) too - they still might in some areas, but when I moved from N. California to S. California I was told that the Post Office "didn't have time" to remember who got the junk mail and who didn't and that I should just throw it out if I didn't want it.

The post office used to promote the "no junk mail" policy as an environmental benefit to help save the trees and our landfills. Apparently now they don't have time - or just don't care.

Kinda sounds like SPAM to me - "if you don't like it, just delete it." Yeah, that makes sense until you're getting 100's of spam mails each day. :moon:

[RawAlex]

Kath, the federal government here made it "law"... it gets ignored too much, and the shit hits the fan. Even government workers are smart enough to save their own asses, at least most of the time.

A spam filter program is like putting blinkers on people to walk them through the ghetto. It doesn't make the ghetto a better place to be, but it means they don't notice.

Filters require that you have a clue how to set them up. I can, you can, but can msn newbie of the week do it? Could your parents do it? I have tons of filters in my mail program already, but it is sort of hard to filter shit out when they keep changing to "FR*E*E* I*N&K *F*R*EE" as a subject link, ya know?

Nope, filtering spam at the reception level doesn't eliminate the network congestion, the wasted resources, and the wasted time.

[Peaches]

The USPS makes too much money on bulk mail to look at a national way to "opt out". I'd rather pay more for my postage and not get the crap. :angry:

[RichC]

Originally posted by RawAlex@Apr 29 2003, 04:55 PM
but it is sort of hard to filter shit out when they keep changing to "FR*E*E* I*N&K *F*R*EE" as a subject link, ya know?


no doubt.

I can't remember who offers the service...but someone who I sent an email to was using it....basically everything you send the person bounces back to you immediately with a reply....

'the person you are trying to reach is using a spam filter and wants you to verify you are a human" yadayada....along with that automatic bounce back reply message there is a link to click for the original sender to verify that they are indeed a real person.

You click the link and it gives you one of those cryptic letter puzzles where you have to type the letters that appear in the box to authenticate yourself as a real live person...once you do that.....then you can actually deliver your message to the person you were trying to reach....

pretty cool spam filter I thought.

[Rolo]

Jesus...what in the hell do you do to receive 1300 spams per day. That's ridiculous.

whois Infomation... picked up a few busted dotcom domains... joining affiliate programs... etc. etc.

4 Months ago I was at a steady 600-700 spams per day... dunno what changed since then (maybe its more acceptable to send spam today?), but spam have really taken off in 2003. :zoinks:

Rolo, governments are not going to fall because of spam. Holy shit! That is a little bit of an exageration don't you think?

Ok - I was on a roll :rolleyes: but after seeing what kind of impact spam have on some large networks, then I do belive that the amount of spam have now reached a level, where you will be able to make GOOD money getting rid of spam... you could probably earn ALOT more fighting spam, then those who send the spam, so I´m not worrid about the fall out.

Spam will be treated like virus... somebody will find/agree on the "medicine", but not the "cure".... the money is in the "medicine" B)



Last edited by Rolo at Apr 29 2003, 03:00 PM

[cj]

my spam filter program shows a count of how many times each filter has been used ... this is for the last few months


subject contains word adv = 1614
subject contains word viagra = 972
subject contains word casino = 693
subject contains word mortgage rate = 586
subject contains word porn = 481
subject contains word spamkiller (name of software i use) = 382
subject contains word adult web = 314
subject contains word xxx = 249
subject contains word Mortgage = 213
etc

message text contains 'remove.htm' = 1831
message text contains 'remove in the subject' = 844
message text contains 'As seen on' = 620
message text contains 'remove.cgi' = 456
message text contains 'remove request' = 450
message text contains 'CLICK HERE for all your pharmacy needs' = 374
message text contains 'Digital Cable' = 278
message text contains 'Generic Viagra' = 197
message text contains 'workingwithwood.net' = 186
message text contains 'email marketing' = 134
message text contains 'If you do not wish to receive further mailings' = 123
message text contains 'received this message in error' = 119
message text contains 'secret admirer' = 114
message text contains 'remove@' = 103
etc

there's 1000's of these filters with a couple of hits each, and i STILL get at least 200 emails per day that are not caught by these filters. its rediculous! it doesn't matter how many phrases i add to the filters ... i get a few days of not much email, then the new addresses start being made up and the spam starts building up again until i have time to set up new filters.

these filters i only set up a few weeks ago for specific addresses which have been farmed and resold extensively or just made up and resold ...

ies @ purve.com = 723
amateur @ purve.com = 585
er @ purve.com = 517
etc ...
there's a couple of interesting ones in here i keep stumbling across ... i use 'program' at purve often when i sign up to any kind of program online.

the address ccbill @ purve.com has received 267 emails in a few weeks

at least before you sell a list, remove all references to your own company name

:rolleyes:

i hope aol, microsoft and yahoo can concentrate long enough to come up with at least some kind of fix. afterall, they are the 3 largest transporters of spam on the net.

[gonzo]

Originally posted by JR+Apr 29 2003, 01:21 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (JR @ Apr 29 2003, 01:21 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteBegin--gonzo@Apr 29 2003, 12:47 PM

Fucking newbies 1300 emails aint dick. Try having a fucking email address thats been good for almost 10 years.
thats nothing... when i was your age, we didn't have electronic spam. we couldn't afford it. we had to write notes on rocks and throw them at each other... and every time we got smacked in the head by a rock with "hi neighbor" carved on it, we were damned happy for it. it was embarrasing to walk in the door without lacerations on our heads, eyes swollen shut and blood running down our face. it meant we had no friends.[/b][/quote]
Jealous bastard.

Next youll be reprising that Richard Prior bit on "no shoes, bread bags in the snow"
:stout:

[Mike AI]

VIRGINIA ENACTS TOUGHEST SPAM LAW
The State of Virginia has enacted the U.S.'s toughest
anti-spam law, imposing felony penalties for sending spam
via deceptive means. The statute includes provisions for
high volume spammers with up to a five year prison term for
sending 10,000 deceptive spam messages in a single day.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/30/technolo...&partner=GOOGLE (http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/30/technology/30SPAM.html?ex=1052280000&en=024152ea92fbadce&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE)

I guess AOL owns the State of Virginia.

Jail for SPAM??

[JR]

interesting that so few have a problem with the fact that they need to hire a dumptruck to carry away their junk mail.

i guess if my junk mail was all "you won a million dollars, open this envelop" and there really was just a picture of two guys fisting each other with discount coupons for an anal jackhammer and anal lube, i would probably get tired of it after a while (or maybe not)... but there is a massive amount of paper wasted on junk mail that to me seems to be a real issue. it seems almost criminal to me. especially in a time when we should be requiring less and less paper in everything we do.

[gonzo]

Originally posted by JR@Apr 30 2003, 11:52 AM
interesting that so few have a problem with the fact that they need to hire a dumptruck to carry away their junk mail.

i guess if my junk mail was all "you won a million dollars, open this envelop" and there really was just a picture of two guys fisting each other with discount coupons for an anal jackhammer and anal lube, i would probably get tired of it after a while (or maybe not)... but there is a massive amount of paper wasted on junk mail that to me seems to be a real issue. it seems almost criminal to me. especially in a time when we should be requiring less and less paper in everything we do.
Plenty of trees out there. I spend all my time protesting light pollution. You know with all these birght lights from the city you cant go out to the fields and star gaze...or to Piedmont Park and shoot any good saucerhead action photos.

Damn big city lights!

[KC]

I think the way ICQ handled icq spamming works great. I haven't gotten an ICQ spam for at least 6 months...

I checked the box that says only allow messages from people on my contact list. No more spam.

The policy "Anyone can email me at anytime, but bad people emailing me will go to jail" will NEVER effectively work.

Legistlation isn't the answer to this problem.. It's political masturbation.

[JR]

Originally posted by Mike AI@Apr 30 2003, 11:04 AM

I guess AOL owns the State of Virginia.

Jail for SPAM??
the news showed the governor of Virginia speaking about this law and how important it is, in front of a backdrop of AOL logos... so i think its safe to say that AOL may possibly have some influence in the State of Virginia.
:rokk:

[cj]

Originally posted by KC@Apr 30 2003, 09:33 PM
I think the way ICQ handled icq spamming works great. I haven't gotten an ICQ spam for at least 6 months...

I checked the box that says only allow messages from people on my contact list. No more spam.

The policy "Anyone can email me at anytime, but bad people emailing me will go to jail" will NEVER effectively work.

Legistlation isn't the answer to this problem.. It's political masturbation.
KC, you may be onto something here

an email program where you have to add allowed recipients before they can send you email ... harsh but necessary when you get as much mail as most of us do

[slavdogg]

If you use Eudora
install http://spamnix.com

Since the start of the year i have collected 19,000 emails in my spam box.
thats nearly 150 a day.

it works amazingly well

highly recommend it :okthumb:



>>> an email program where you have to add allowed recipients before they can send you email

Cj, there are several programs that do just that and they work well.
If lets say I'm not on your recipients lists, i get an auto response with a link to add myself and than my emails would get through to you. Otherwise i believe they are stored in a spam folder.
I know JB at cen uses one.

[Mike AI]

A lot of news on the Spam front, from all sides....

http://news.com.com/2009-1024_3-999033.htm...ag=fd_lede2_hed (http://news.com.com/2009-1024_3-999033.html?tag=fd_lede2_hed)

[Rolo]

Spam is probably going to get even worse before it gets better... If nothing is done, then people will start to think e-mail as useless within a few years.

Better anti spam laws, better anti spam software, e-mail and filter education of surfers is the way forward.

[RawAlex]

Fixing spam is not going to be easy, but it starts with replacing SMTP with a real secure protocol. I read recently that a newer system has been built and is in testing (read this about a month ago).

The problem has to do with the fact that there is no way to tell where mail comes from. Faking 100% of the headers in SMTP isn't a real issue. Pretty much all spam is dependant on fake headers and landing pages to make the world go aorund. Take away the ability to lie about who is sending the mail, and spam will go down quite a bit.

Filtering spam, filtering messages, or otherwise adding steps to receiving mail is just not very productive in the end. Making people do additional steps just to make sure you get the mail is like saying "send everything fedex, because I just throw everything that comes in the regular mail directly in the garbage". You wouldn't do that in the real world, why should you have to do it with you email?

Most importantly, the current large waves of spam are both proof and the cause of diminished returns on mass mailings. Too many 25 million name lists out there, being mailed by amateur moron spammers, clogging up the pipes with repeated offers of loans and bigger penises... making it harder for anyone to make money.

Porn spam seems to be more under control these days... non-adult stuff is getting ugly.

Alex

[Mike AI]

Porn spam seems to be more under control these days... non-adult stuff is getting ugly.


Alex I am seeing the same trend.... except for the real rauchy animal/ incest stuff ( those guys would do anything) - most porn spam has been someone responsible....

The main stream spam is what is really out of control, and aparently a lot of amatuers out there....

[SykkBoy]

Originally posted by RawAlex@May 1 2003, 10:52 AM
Porn spam seems to be more under control these days... non-adult stuff is getting ugly.

especially those fucking Iraqi playing cards....holy shit!

[Vick]

Oh the irony of it ......
AOL has gotten laws passed in Virgina (which is not a state but a commonwealth and their home base of operations)
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/internet/04/3...m.ap/index.html (http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/internet/04/30/fighting.spam.ap/index.html)

But I am pretty sure today has broken the all time record for most spam I have gotten in one day

am starting to do comparisons to the amount of junk mail to regular mail and volume of telemarketing calls versus calls from the very few people I would want to speak with

So far get the highest % of email spam but ....postal junk mail isn't far behind in terms of % amount

[T-Rav]

Real fucking cute!

I guess because of my "I don't think spam is that bad, just hit the delete button" views, someone thought it would be cool to sign me up for a bunch of spam.

That's just rude.

No problem, I just hit the delete button :awinky:

[RawAlex]

T-rav, they do it to me too... funny part is it just makes me a little more determined. I am actually thinking about forming a virginia corp to hold all my domains in...

Alex

[Dianna Vesta]

It’s really time consuming and then you’ve got third party processors harvesting your signup email to send out spam. We just switched to Jettis for that reason and others.

I also have a ton of filters that I still have to scroll through because shit I want to read get caught in there. I have a staff person who spends at least 4 hours per day going through tons of email. Fetishnetwork.com has been online a long long time… we get so much email there it’s not funny. I actually had to set it to an auto reply so that anyone@fetishnetwork.com would get a reply giving great detail on whom to write and why.

I like to read about specials, promotions, content updates, etc. but I hate it when these fucking people get carried away by sending me shit several times a week or they pass email address along to people who have nothing to offer me or I didn’t register/sign on for.

It makes you wonder how effective email marketing is. I haven’t bought any and I probably wouldn’t. Everyone I know clicks delete.

Once or twice a week I get an email from some dumb fuck who claims he never agreed to have his name on my newsletter list. He or she then threatens to report me…in fact I’m probably on a spam senders list. My newsletter software requires email verification that you joined the list. We ALWAYS have an unsubscribe link at the bottom. I wonder how AOL & the like plan on handling this & if I’m going to have to prove what I use, give some asshole access to my server, etc. When you’ve got someone who subscribed, forgot or his wife found his password.

Grrrr…

DV

[RawAlex]

DV, I highly recommend that you capture as much information about the person as possible when they request and when they confirm - IP address, browser and os types, etc., all information good for making a case that the person (or someone with access to that person's email) confirmed them in.

Also, always remove any complainers directly. Don't even give them a chance. Just copy their email into your unsubscribe feature, and blow them off. Better you act promptly than stand on the moral high ground.

I have noticed a real trend recently with "do nothing and you are on our mailer" lists again. It is a bullshit way to add addresses to your spam list. Anyone doing that in adult is going to find themselves burned toasty if I get the mail... 'cuz I will name names and call sponsors out on this shit.

Alex