Re: tlug: Question about spam

[Michael Chiu <mchiu@example.com>]

> I'm curious as to why some people feel as strongly about spam as they
> do. Now, don't misunderstand me. I am against spam, philosophically
> and emotionally, no ifs, ands, or buts. But (oops, I lied! there is one
> "but") most of the time I respond to spam much as I would to a dog
> turd in my driveway: yes, it's unpleasant, and if I know whose dog did 
> it, I'll ask them to police their pooch; but I don't spend much time
> worrying about it. Whereas some people, including several members of
> this mailing list, seem to regard it as something akin to an armed man 
> breaking into their homes.

You know... I have the same exact feelings... I know that for some
people, they find it as an invasion of privacy... I look at is as
another opportunity to use my favorite button on the keyboard... :D 
<DEL>  I don't like to use filters for SPAM since they almost always use
different e-mail addresses, and storing all of that filtering info in my
computer is costly... I think the <DEL> key is still the most effective
way for me to fight it... Of course, I could block out words like XXX,
sex, etc., but my friends tend to use those words in their e-mails all
the time, so I would be in effect, deleting them too... Of course, I
only receive, on average 2-3 pieces of SPAM per day, but for some people,
I am sure they are reaching into the hundreds for the amount of spam
they receive... I'm just curious though... how do Spammers get our
e-mail addreses?  I know the obvious ones like they buy mailing lists,
but how are these mailing lists generated?  I usually sign up my e-mail
to places of big businesses ... ie, CNET, M$, etc. so I figure they
aren't selling my name off, but I almost never give out my e-mail
address otherwise, yet I still receive some spam... do they go through
the use of cookies?

> 
> For those who are passionate about this, let me repeat: I think we're
> all on the same side of this issue. I would just like to understand
> your point of view a little better. I tend to think that spam can
> never be completely eradicated, only controlled. Do you think I'm
> mistaken about that?

I believe it can almost be erradicated through the use of government
intervention, but that would mean all of the nations of the world
co-operating... including off-shore sites.... 

Didn't Sanford Wallace, the king of spam, finally decide to stop
spamming, and is now trying to fight spam?  wierd... 

> 
> If you respond, I'd also be interested in your answer to this:
> 
> Do you treat your e-mail more like the telephone (you have to pick it
> up immediately) or more like snail mail (it's there waiting, and you
> look at it when you're ready). I could be completely wrong about this, 
> but I have a hunch that the people who feel most strongly about spam
> will tend to be those who feel that e-mail is like the telephone.
> 

I pick it up like the phone, but I don't really care about spam... well,
except in the morning when I first log-in... I usually take my time and
prioritize the order I will read each spam^H^H^H^H mail... :D

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