Fixing Spam
12-06-2003, 02:19 PM
#1
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Fixing Spam
Here's my idea for fixing spam. Let me know what you think. I am going to try to push this with my senators and congressman, and anyone else that will listen, but would like to cover all bases on it.
Does anyone see a downside to it?
Perhaps we are looking at the Spam problem all wrong. What if we used the back door to stop spam? The way I see it, the spammers, the ones actually sending the spam to everyone's mailbox, are covering themselves up very well, mostly due to fear of being caught and preyed upon by those persons they have offended with their spam, or to allow their message to make it through spam filters. Since it is very difficult to track down the spammers, why not go after those persons or companies who HIRE the spammers to send out the spam? It should be very easy to track down most companies found in spam messages just because that's the point of the spam message, to contact the company and purchase their product or service. If the fines are large/frequent enough, the companies will look for another way to market their product that doesn't offend anyone. Just think about it, if the company who is responsible has to pay 5.00 for each spam message they send, or have sent out, it will hit them where it really hurts, in the wallet. This fine would be assessed on how many of the messages are reported. This can grow to a huge number easily with companies such as Brightmail, AOL, MSN or Earthlink, who are filtering spam and can identify a huge number of emails that can be identified as being spam. These, being reported to the FTC, could quickly build a case to slap a heavy fine on the company who initiated the spam message.
If the persons or companies hiring the spammers no longer hire them due to the expense of the spam, the spam will dry up. I doubt that many spammers are in this for good will or the hobby, and if there's no money in it they won't send spam, right?
As far as fraudulent emails are concerned, where someone who wants to get back at a company by sending spam on their behalf, is concerned, I feel like this would be a minor issue as it would be fairly easy to determine if the email was a widespread spam mail. If some one hoaxes a spam to 20 friends in hopes of getting the company fined, if the reports of the spam message are less than some arbitrary number, such as 1,000, it would not be a non-penalized offence. The "pay-back" spammer would have to go out and buy millions of email addresses to send out this type of thing. If they did go through the trouble to buy addresses, we could also count on the fact that this type of spammer is not experienced in this sort of thing and would probably not be able to cover their tracks very well, making them easier to track down.
Does anyone see a downside to it?
Perhaps we are looking at the Spam problem all wrong. What if we used the back door to stop spam? The way I see it, the spammers, the ones actually sending the spam to everyone's mailbox, are covering themselves up very well, mostly due to fear of being caught and preyed upon by those persons they have offended with their spam, or to allow their message to make it through spam filters. Since it is very difficult to track down the spammers, why not go after those persons or companies who HIRE the spammers to send out the spam? It should be very easy to track down most companies found in spam messages just because that's the point of the spam message, to contact the company and purchase their product or service. If the fines are large/frequent enough, the companies will look for another way to market their product that doesn't offend anyone. Just think about it, if the company who is responsible has to pay 5.00 for each spam message they send, or have sent out, it will hit them where it really hurts, in the wallet. This fine would be assessed on how many of the messages are reported. This can grow to a huge number easily with companies such as Brightmail, AOL, MSN or Earthlink, who are filtering spam and can identify a huge number of emails that can be identified as being spam. These, being reported to the FTC, could quickly build a case to slap a heavy fine on the company who initiated the spam message.
If the persons or companies hiring the spammers no longer hire them due to the expense of the spam, the spam will dry up. I doubt that many spammers are in this for good will or the hobby, and if there's no money in it they won't send spam, right?
As far as fraudulent emails are concerned, where someone who wants to get back at a company by sending spam on their behalf, is concerned, I feel like this would be a minor issue as it would be fairly easy to determine if the email was a widespread spam mail. If some one hoaxes a spam to 20 friends in hopes of getting the company fined, if the reports of the spam message are less than some arbitrary number, such as 1,000, it would not be a non-penalized offence. The "pay-back" spammer would have to go out and buy millions of email addresses to send out this type of thing. If they did go through the trouble to buy addresses, we could also count on the fact that this type of spammer is not experienced in this sort of thing and would probably not be able to cover their tracks very well, making them easier to track down.
12-06-2003, 07:16 PM
#3
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Thread Starter
Re:Fixing Spam
[quote author=RATTLINRAM link=board=10;threadid=23349;start=0#msg219360 date=1070757052]
You're REALLY getting depressed without your truck aren't you Chris? :P ;D
[/quote]
:'(
Just trying to channel the energy I'd normally use for bombing. :
Chris
You're REALLY getting depressed without your truck aren't you Chris? :P ;D
[/quote]
:'(Just trying to channel the energy I'd normally use for bombing. :
Chris
12-06-2003, 07:35 PM
#4
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Re:Fixing Spam
[quote author=Stamey link=board=10;threadid=23349;start=0#msg219265 date=1070741982]
Here's my idea for fixing spam. Let me know what you think. I am going to try to push this with my senators and congressman ... <snip>[/quote]I remember one of my first visits to the Smithsonian. In one of the mens room after washing my hands I went to one of the dryers on the wall to dry my hands. Over the button was an inscription that said "push button for a message from your congressman".
Here's my idea for fixing spam. Let me know what you think. I am going to try to push this with my senators and congressman ... <snip>[/quote]I remember one of my first visits to the Smithsonian. In one of the mens room after washing my hands I went to one of the dryers on the wall to dry my hands. Over the button was an inscription that said "push button for a message from your congressman".
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