[rescue] Spam (was: Perverse Question)

[Robert Novak]

On Sat, 7 Jun 2003, r.stricklin wrote:

> It doesn't even matter. It doesn't make one bit of difference when and
> where you use your email address, you WILL get spammed. There's no
> disincentive for spammers to mail to even "plausible" addresses.

If you have a patternable address, this is very true.

I have an address that looks like one of the throwaway AOL
passwords, on a large free mail provider known for originating
and receiving spam. I've had it for, I think, 2 years now.

It's used for two or three email correspondents, a Microsoft
.NET Passport account, and my McAfee account.

Guess how many spams I have received in it.

Hint: Al Potter might spank this number.

Yep, none. Not a single spam.

Now my Yahoo account, 100 spams a day. Minimum. I use it
to bouncefwd email from my unix system out so I can print
it. But if I go a week without checking it, the box is full.
Like deleting my screened mail in 30 days is often enough.

> It doesn't matter who you are or where your address ends up. You will
> get spam.

If your address is patternable, definitely. If it's an obvious
one (rob, robert, bob, dave, brian, abuse) it's going to happen
sooner.

Rob

-- 
Robert Novak - rnovak at indyramp.com