[CS-FSLUG] How to keep from getting spammed?

[Nigel Ridley]

On Fri, 24 Sep 2004 17:11:43 -0700
Jerry Van Brimmer <jerryvb at verizon.net> wrote:

[snip]
> 
> I agree, and welcome to the list Norbert. Here is a site that has one 
> 
> solution:
> 
> http://www.spamdontbuyit.org/
> 
> Unfortunately, it's kind of hard to get the word out to the whole
> "'net" population. I think the site has "a" valid point. But, I
> believe that not all spammers are doing it for the money. Some, now
> I'm just speculating here, probably do it just because they can, for
> the fun of it. Like virus writers; are there any profits to be made
> from writing and releasing viruses? None that I am aware of. Maybe
> someone will educate me on this point. Spam is a problem, but in my
> opinion, it will remain a problem until we all go to a
> challenge/response type of email system. I've ofen thought that the
> challenge/response type of system is the answer to the spam problem,
> at least for those who use such a system. But, some people are
> offended at the request to verify themselves, and so never complete
> the verification process. The above web site does have a valid point,
> if nobody were responding to spam, then what's the point of spamming?
> I've just been thinking and rambling here, not necessarily trying to
> make any point.
> 
> Jerry
> 
> 
> -- 
> The KING is coming!..................Rev. 1:7
> Linux User #153217..................http://counter.li.org
> 
> 
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> 

I too have been considering the challenge/response type of system but
haven't implemented it yet because of the problems with folks getting
peeved about it.

The answer to why people spam is changing from a purely commercial
interest to a working relationship with crackers (mainly from Russia) --
remember the last round of IE vulnerabilities and bank websites?

>From a purely commercial viewpoint here is a copy of a message I got a
while back as to the value of spamming:

<quote>
..considering broadcast email advertising?   look at this article...


"According to Cunningham's figures on mortgage leads, he can get 
a click-through rate for his messages from anywhere between 1:60 
to 1:240, which means that one person will respond for every 60 to 
240 e-mails; for AOL e-mail addresses the click-through rate is as 
favorable as 1:19. His commission rate varies from $8 to $16 per lead. 

While that figure doesn't translate into actual sales (and he won't say 
what that percentage is), the figures are still impressive. For four
days worth of work, Cunningham can send 240 million e-mails, which
return 1 million (1:240) to 12.6 million (1:19) click-throughs. If only
one-half of 1 percent lead to sales, he has still made anywhere between
$40,000 and $1 million."

- Internet News / August 20th, 2004 - Excerpt From Article: "You
CAN-SPAM."
</quote>

BTW. I have a electronic greeting card site which is starting to suffer
because of spam filtering/blocking by isp's -- I'm not sending spam but
somebody on the same server/hosting company is and some isp's just block
everything ...... So I am going to have to move my site to another
hosting company (one that doesn't allow spam to be sent).

Blessings,

Nigel

-- 
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--

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