Spam fighter hit with $11 million judgment

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Nice of you to be so passionate

No, I am sorry but that is exactly what free speech is.
How does a bot harvest your email address? Do you mean to day that you are done growing it and are ready to use it and a "bot" comes along and takes your bounty before you can use it?
Secondly, I have had my domain hit several times with spammer posing as such. It doesn't take a real genious to pose as someone else.

But what are we really talking about here. All of these advertisers/spammer using spam techniques get paid from someone, somewhere. Either by the sponsor or the customer. And it must work, or else why would this industry continue. There are people that actually respond to spam. And I am sure that it is not just a few. And, email advertising is a legitimate way of doing business (hence free speech.)

The real issue uderlying your argument is the manner in which spammers use illicit if not illegal techniques to drop advertisments. I don't think the topic of what they are selling is really at issue here. (Your viagra or mortgage example)

I don't have a paticularly bad experience with spam. I use junk mail filters and spyware removal tools. Pop ups are almost non-existant. And my mailbox is the default for all unassigned address under the domain.

I don't visit risky web sites very often and don't click through advertisments. Hence, I have a fairly clean inbox. (My junk mail filter recieves about 50 peices a day.)

Therefore there are two items that should be considered when discsussing spam and free speech.

1. Is the spammer using false information or depositing malware in order to gain access.
2. Is the spammer directly solicity potential buyers.

On the first issue - any illicity technique to cause harm or steal information is or should be considered illegal. Therefore, not a spam issue but a criminal one.

Secondly, spammer that have obtained thier mailng (email) list in a legitimate manner have every right to try and send you what every advertisement they wish (just like postal junk mail.) And you have everyright to filter it, reject it and so on.

Even though you are angry about all of the junk mail you get - does not mean that it isn't a case of free speech. As is with most new technologies -a new set of rules (laws) will need to be developed over time to deal with it.

But I again caution you and everyone else about how we limit what can be emailed.

Posted by: YukonRay   Posted on: 09/16/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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