Who Let The Spam Out
Nov 26 '00 (Updated Mar 18 '01)
The Bottom Line Use any unsubscribe instructions provided and just delete it. It's too easy to delete to get worked up about!
There's a new sheriff in town and it's name is SpamCop. Well, maybe not a sheriff but at least a deputy. I'm sure at this point that all of you are well aware of the second coming of Spam. Well, this time it's not simply spiced ham in a can that you can take or leave at your own leisure. This time it's been let out of the can and you're being force fed.
Today's Internet driven society simply refers to Spam as unsolicited commercial email and a predominant number of Internet users get bombarded with it for all sorts of reasons. For example on any given day you can find a few emails for adult sites, a few for debt consolidation and a few about get rich quick schemes or long distance service. Individuals really can simply delete this pesky mail whereas the ISPs the email goes through has a rougher time because servers really do get overused by Spammers. However, it's the Individual users that really get carried away and overreact. Frankly, the crusades that some people get into border on the absurd and the most guilty of all are the creators of SpamCop.
As someone whose real world job is working for a police department I'm insulted that this group would even use word "cop" as part of their name as that implies actual policing something. Their self-appointed purpose in this world is to shut down Spammers by creating a site through which individuals can have Spam complaints forwarded anonymously to the right host. Perhaps they should have called themselves "SpamForward" because there is absolutely nothing they do that is coplike. The absolute worst part is that this complaint is forwarded anonymously making it twice as hard to prove innocence as how can you possibly remove someone from a mailing list without knowing who they are?
The issue with Spam has two sides and groups like SpamCop refuse to acknowledge that. Yes, there is the issue of all these people who continually receive unwanted email (at risk to life and limb apparently) but there are also honest business people who do not Spam and they, more than anyone else, have to pay the price for all this. They must spend endless hours saving contacts and files for later proof to defend themselves with. They have hosts and ISPs that believe users are guilty until proven innocent (so what if the constitution says otherwise) and will shut down programs, close accounts and take web sites off line before even verifying whether or not the email complained about really was Spam.
Now I know most of you will disagree simply because Spam is annoying and therefore one of worst offenses known to mankind everywhere but it is far easier for someone receiving Spam to simply delete the email than it is for an honest business person to spend a day jumping through hoops to get an account reinstated despite never having done anything wrong. How this happens is simple, millions of people every day sign up with programs online and check off their interests then agree to receive email. Most of these millions forget and then complain about Spam when the email arrives. That's a very large amount of unjustified Spam complaints and this is just one example. Yet, people receiving this non Spam email, instead of simply unsubscribing, will forward it to SpamCop. Then, this self appointed ruler of the Spam domain will investigate absolutely nothing and forward the complaint to a host. Yes, an honest business person will be able to prove they didn't Spam and get their account reinstated, but SpamCop has no business forwarding an invalid complaint and I look forward to the day an Online business takes them to court for their actions.
In short, from either side Spam is a serious issue. Unfortunately, it's adverse affects are far worse for businesses than individuals yet, the powers that be always side against a business. Simply put, the actions of SpamCop, as well as lesser known similar groups, are both anti-commerce and unconstitutional. The deputies of SpamCop are self appointed breachers of the peace instead of keepers of the peace and have no business trying to help put this Spam back in the can.
If you want to prevent Spam, keep deleting it and stop getting so worked up about it. Eventually it will die down when the next method of pestering through advertising comes along.
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Epinions.com ID:
Boomerang
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Member: Mitch Posner
Location: Amarillo, TX
Reviews written: 85
Trusted by: 10 members
About Me:
I'm an opinionated, misplaced, New Yorker Know it all who loves Heineken and my family.
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