VipBlogSpots

SpamCop Vigilantism

The ...
is a note I received from an ... after he got aSPAM warning from a Spam ...
Note that his service is a ... Service! Mike,Do you know what this means, and how it h The following is a note I received from an advertiser after he got aSPAM warning from a Spam Vigilante.
Note that his service is a SPAMFiltering Service! Mike,Do you know what this means, and how it happened?Joe----- Original Message -----From: To: Sent: Friday, May 24, 2002 7:18 PMSubject: [SpamCop (http://spamfilter.website101.com) id:82451690][Astrology.ca] May 25 Horoscope> - SpamCop V1.3.3 -> This message is brief for your comfort. Please follow links fordetails.
The following note come from the VIGILANTE via SpamCop> > I never signed up for this! Send CONFIRMATION emails BEFOREmindlessly signing people up to prevent unauthorized signups!>My response to my list advertiser is nextJoe, You have just become the latest victim of spam vigilantism by aSpamCop member. It is a hate crime practiced by folks with little else to do but chase phantom criminals because they are so annoyedby REAL spammers.
I guess you can't blame them since that is whatobviates the SpamFilter Service you provide. I have written previousarticles on the absolute stupidity of this vicious circle.
You providea valuable service with SpamFilter which is intended to stop spamdirectly. SpamCop thrives, in part, because your very worthwhileSpamFilter service is so necessary.
I only wish more people woulduse SpamFilter and fewer used SpamCop.Here is the usual course of events, Joe.I host a daily horoscope list that goes to 4500 people. Many timesenthusiastic astrology list subscribers sign up friends and relativeswithout their permission, to share a particular horoscope with them.It's the biggest drawback to hosting that list.But I keep all subscription requests and can prove them.
I've hadrun-ins with SpamCop before and they know about my list and thatthere are occasional complaints due to those unrequested sign-ups to the list by over enthusiastic friends and relatives. As you can see, Iam advertising SpamFilter in that daily horoscope and when acomplaint goes to spamcop, their mindless automated system sendsto every domain listed in the email.I've had trouble with it before and have a section in the SpamFilterfolder discussing it.
Note the links to SpamCops Abuses and themultiple articles from other victims of the so-called service. Mostof us are list hosts or have our own newsletters.
Read the articles Ihave posted.http://website101.com/SpamFilter/spamcop.net.htmlhttp://website101.com/SpamFilter/spamcops.htmlhttp://website101.com/SpamFilter/spammer_spamming.html All that is required is to notify everyone involved of the likelycause, that is friends signing up others without permission. I evendirectly ask people NOT to sign up others to avoid this trouble.
Butwhen it does happen, I always notify my web host, the list host andany advertisers in the list and it's becoming routine, unfortunately,because of how SpamCop works -- or I should say, doesn't work. Thatis the reason I like your SpamFilter service so much.
It removes thecrap to allow me more time to deal with real issues.SpamCop is a real issue and I tire of the vigilantes involved withthem. Unfortunately, it seems not to go away, no matter how manylist owners are attacked this way.
I'm sending a copy of this to myWeb Host, my List Host, to SpamCop, to you and to other advertisers,so that everyone is aware of the stupidity involved and doesn't takethe matter too far. I'll be posting a copy of this in the SpamFilterarticle file as well to further illustrate the vigilante nature ofSpamCop members.Makes me think of lynchings and other hate crimes when people dothis.
Talk about knee-jerk reactions. Notice that the complainer ismasked by SpamCop? They complain anonymously and it's not possibleto respond to them, even when you would like to explain it to them.Neither can you unsubscribe the complainer.
Usually they just continueto complain and you must continue to defend yourself so your hostdoesn't take action against you, your list or your site.In this case I can prove the person is subscribed, and if they did thecomplaining directly to me, I could show them the subscription andthe IP address of the person that subscribed them. But they string upthe noose and attempt to hang the object of their wrath, even if theyought to be stringing up the friend or relative that subscribed themto the list without their permission.
Note also that there is aplainly visible and always available UNSUBSCRIBE link at the bottomof the list.They don't unsubscribe, they would rather complain than to take directaction. It's all really very absurd.
Mike Banks Valentine Joe wrote: Mike, Do you know what this means, and how it happened. Joe ----- Original Message ----- From: To: Sent: Friday, May 24, 2002 7:18 PM Subject: [SpamCop (http://spamfilter.website101.com) id:82451690] [Astrology.ca] May 25 Horoscope > - SpamCop V1.3.3 - > This message is brief for your comfort.
Please follow links for> >details. > >I never signed up for this! Send CONFIRMATION emails BEFORE> >mindlessly signing people up to prevent unauthorized signups! > > http://spamcop.net/w3m?i=z82451690z7ace8a3499a4c47e3d2714d14424bca0z > Spamvertised website: http://spamfilter.website101.com > > http://spamfilter.website101.com is 66.216.72.170; Sat, 25 May2002 03:34:38 GMT The following is a copy of the daily horoscope list that I host thatwas falsely accused of spamming by someone that was signed up bya usually well-meaning friend who simply wants to share a horoscopethey think has particular meaning for their friend or relative.
Idon't condone this, and I wish that subscribers wouldn't do it, butit is rather harmless, isn't it? Notice the advertisers (who also getspam notices from SpamCops.)> > AstrologySender.com presents Horoscopes Daily > Brandi Jasmine, Editor > > ¶º¶º¶º¶º¶º¶º¶º¶º¶º¶º¶º¶º¶º¶º¶º¶º¶º¶º¶º¶º¶º¶º¶º¶º¶º¶º¶º¶º¶º¶º¶ > > AstrologySender.com powered by Astrology.ca > > You are receiving this issue because you subscribed > Unsubscribe by using the address at the bottom of page. > > ------------------------------------------------------------ > > ==> Sponsor Ad: SpamFilter! > ==> Today's Horoscopes > ==> UniqueSender.com Themed Portals in YOUR Interests! > ==> Classified ads: Healing Oat Bath Mix > ------------------------------------------------------------ > > Fed UP with SPAM? Finally, there's a Solution! > > SpamFilter Cleans your inbox Before you check email! > If you are spending too much time deleting unwanted > commercial email and stopping pornographic images > from filling your inbox.
Check out SpamFilter! > > 7 Day Free Trial if you sign up this week! > > http://spamfilter.website101.com > > ----------------------------------------------------------- > To have your ad appear above send for our ad rate card > mailto:[email protected] > ----------------------------------------------------------- > > 25-05-2002 > > Aries > > Don't try to push your values or priorities on a friend today. Even> if you are in the right, the effort could backfire, leaving a lot> of negative feelings instead of the positive effect you had hoped> to generate.
You won't be at your most patient or tolerant today. > Most Horoscopes have been removed, come sign up if you want yours!I'm willing to bet the complainer was an Aries.
;-) The end is included here to show the UNSUBSCRIBE notice and the additionaladvertiser that was an unwitting victim of this Spam Vigilante.> Pisces > > You are likely to make spontaneous trips or excursions today, but> they are not likely to turn out like you hoped. It's okay if this> takes place relatively close to home, but a spur of the moment > cross-country trip is definitely not a good idea.
> > > ----------------------------------------------------------- > > Healing Oat Bath Mix for Sunburn Damaged Skin > > Soothes and heals sunburn damaged sensitive skin > Use as a poultice to relieve when sunscreen failed > > http://www.pennyisland.com > > AOL Members Click Here > ------------------------------------------------------------ > The plainly visible directions for unsubscribing included in every email.> Visit the following address to subscribe and unsubscribe. > > http://guidelists.com:81/guest/RemoteListSummary/Astrology_CA > > click link above, enter your email address > click "unsubscribe" click the "submit" button > >-- The following info comes directly from the SpamCop.net web site and the links will take you to their FAQ pages.SpamCop FAQhttp://spamcop.net/fom-serve/cache/1.htmlSpamCop ISP and mailing list admin FAQs :http://spamcop.net/fom-serve/cache/75.htmlI have been falsely and/or maliciously accused of spamming, what canI do?http://spamcop.net/fom-serve/cache/167.htmlThe following is text directly from the SpamCop from that last link.Save it for the inevitable day that YOU are persued by Vigilantes.
"False spam reports are not tolerated. Users who file false reports will be banned from the SpamCop service and/or fined.
However, in order to take action, we must see proof of wrongdoing. If you would like to take action against a user who has erroneously accused you of spamming, please forward to [email protected]: The entire SpamCop report, including full headers and the entire spam.
Proof that the user in question did subscribe for your list. (Proof can be a log excerpt or a copy of the returned, e-mailed confirmation.
There must be proof of a two-way, secure confirmation. This must include IPs and datestamps for two stages - both a signup and a confirmation.) If you would like to pursue action with the user's internet provider SpamCop reports include all the information you need to do so.
IP address and datestamp of the complainant are included in the report. You can even feed a SpamCop report to SpamCop to determine the originating point." Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mike Banks Valentine hosts the valuable SpamFilter service athttp://spamfilter.website101.com if you want to get real about SPAM and do more than complain.Come join the I-Privacy Discussion List Moderated by Mike athttp://www.adventive.com/lists/iprivacy/summary.htmlSUBSCRIBE: mailto:[email protected] Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com .