Message-ID: <Pine.ULT.3.91.951006140725.8549B-100000@beta.tricity.wsu.edu> Date: Fri, 6 Oct 1995 14:23:08 -0700 From: Tom Hodges <mailto:thodges@BETA.TRICITY.WSU.EDU> Subject: Re: WHY Spams and how to answer To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
If you feel moved to respond directly to the spammers (I often do!), still don't respond to the list, rather to the source of the ad and to system addresses of the same domain, i.e. mailto:spammer@some.place.com mailto:root@some.place.com mailto:sysad@some.place.com mailto:postmaster@some.place.com mailto:support@some.place.com mailto:admin@some.place.com mailto:billing@some.place.com etc. Not all of these addresses will work for any site, but some will. If they spam 10,000 lists and get 100 polite responses to 5-10 addresses at their domain from each list saying that it was not appropriate to spam that list (all responses as long as possible -- attach the FAQ for the list if available), they may feel that sorting through 5,000,000 responses for 5 real answers is not worth the trouble. I always nicely explain that many members of devel-l pay for each piece of email and may be forced off the list by too many spams and the griping that the spams generate (like my post here) and hint at possible legal responses.Tom
Tom Hodges, Cropping Systems Modeler USDA-ARS email: mailto:thodges@beta.tricity.wsu.edu Rt. 2, Box 2953-A voice: 509-786-9207 Prosser, WA 99350 USA Fax: 509-786-9370 == ## Rent this space ## == If this represents anything, it is only my opinion.
On Fri, 6 Oct 1995, Robert Silva wrote:
> Please understand that the various advertisements that occasionally
> appear on this and other lists are sent to all known listservs. The
> authors do not subscribe to the list and will never read your replies.
>
> Messages scolding the spam artists responsible for the irritating adverts
> only compound the problem of unwanted mail for _all_ the list's
> subscribers. PLEASE do not bother.