From: "Samuel W. Heywood" Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.desqview,comp.os.msdos.djgpp,comp.os.msdos.mail-news,comp.os.msdos.misc,comp.os.msdos.pcgeos Subject: Re: Spambot Fodder : Dont bother to read, just spamming a spammer Date: Mon, 28 May 2001 15:43:37 -0700 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: In-Reply-To: <3B120E39.318EB27F@bellatlantic.net> References: <9epgi4$h5b$857 AT uranium DOT btinternet DOT com> <3B120E39 DOT 318EB27F AT bellatlantic DOT net> X-Mailer: PC-PINE [DOS version] Sender: samuel_heywood AT subdimension DOT com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII X-Complaints-To: newsabuse AT supernews DOT com Lines: 45 To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com DJ-Gateway: from newsgroup comp.os.msdos.djgpp Reply-To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com Errors-To: nobody AT delorie DOT com X-Mailing-List: djgpp AT delorie DOT com X-Unsubscribes-To: listserv AT delorie DOT com Precedence: bulk On Mon, 28 May 2001, EZoto wrote: > I find that the best way to get back at a spammer is too simply tell him his > spamming doesn't work. I get spammed all the time and not one has affected me > or hurt my computer. That goes for viruses as well. These losers use their > skills to annoy, offend or ever hurt peoples computers with spam or viruses. > I use my skills to ignore them because they don't affect my machine. Spam or > viruses. > > EZoto By sending the spam back to the spammer you might be telling him that his spam does work. Let me explain. There are two pitfalls to taking your approach: 1. The returned spam most probably will not land in the spammer's inbox because most spammers use fake email addresses. In this case the mailer daemon at your ISP is likely to send the returned spam right back to your own inbox along with an auto-generated note saying that you sent the message to a non-existent email address. 2. If the returned spam does land in the spammer's inbox and he reads it, then he will have proof that the spam he sent to you went to your valid email address. Then he will sell your email address as being one that will work for hitting its target. You are the target. The enemy now knows your position and their guns now have a "lock on" for your coordinates. As a result you will receive more salvos of spam. Spam affects your machine by causing it to waste hard disk space and internet connect time for downloading garbage. As a result this causes you to spend your time in dealing with this annoyance. If we are going to defeat the spammers, then we will have to plan some kind of counter-attack that will be effective. Otherwise they will just continue to exploit their successes. Regards, Sam Heywood -- Message sent by PC-Pine, v.3.96 for DOS, http://www.washington.edu/pine