the all encroaching hand of spam

From: outlawpoet - (outlawpoet@stealth.hell.com)
Date: Thu Jun 13 2002 - 16:05:32 MDT


A few months ago I got fed up with spam.

I unsubbed from all email lists with public archives but the extropians list and sl4(which I left on my hotmail account) and started a new email address. outlawpoet@hell.com. I chose hell.com because I support their activities and it's a short and memorable name. Satanic reference always gets a rise from the people who originally invented it, strangely.

Also, hell.com isn't a common target for spammers, they tend to go for the big known email services. So purchasing this email address, I ran it through the gamut. several anti spammy programs, and some custom message rules later, I enjoyed my new email address completely spam free. A blessed empty mailbox day after day, with simply friends romans and countrymen sending in wisdom and wonderfulness.

Until today. Today, somehow, I find in my mailbox, a message from teenteenteen.com. How they got through, I don't know. But I despair.

My friend Zac says the spam is like rust. Once begun, the process is hell to arrest, and impossible to completely reverse. And I fear I must agree. Well, more mail rules later, and a new antispam routine later, I feel a little safer. But, I'm sure somehow, the forces of the God that Makes no Difference will find away to get through. I feel a little violated. But it's important not to give up. One day spam will be a terrible unjustified crime. A waste of time, the most precious commodity. And seemingly, a catalyst for wierd musing emails to lists that will scan through and delete quickly.

Live by the sword, die by the sword. There is no way to easily defeat this enemy. Spam begets spam. I have contacted the webmasters of both teenteenteen.com and help@help.raven.net(the apparent sender address) to express my displeasure. I'm sure it wont change anything. Now my email address, like so much chattel, is being bandied about the internet, sold in mass lists for 5 cents a name. 5 cents a name, my time goes very cheaply.

Justin Corwin
outlawpoet@hell.com

"Is all the world but jails and churches?
                ~Rage against The Machine



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