RE: Skyrocket Your WebSite Traffic Overnight

James D. Wilson (netsurf@sersol.com)
Wed, 30 Sep 1998 19:49:34 -1000

IMHO proper retaliation would be to:

  1. TURN ON FULL MAIL HEADER TRACKING ON THIS LISTSERV SO THAT WE SEE THE WHOLE HEADER. Letting the listserv rewrite the headers encourages spammers by helping them hide their evil tracks.
  2. Report and pursue every spamsicle (email me if you need help) If every member of the list did this you *can* make a difference. Even *one* person can make a difference. My kill count is 74 and counting. Over the last three months the ONLY spam I have received has been from this list. I'm on about a dozen lists (approx. 2000 messages a week) and this is the only one that continues to be spammed. The other lists shored up posting to subscribers only and require confirmation subscriptions.
  3. If the spam offers a phone number, especially 1-800 type numbers, give them a call and share your feelings with them. Remember, they have to pay for those 1-800 calls. If they have a fax number, you are legally able under the Telecommunications Protection Act to send them faxes. You might enjoy using a cover and trailer page legal size and solid black with white lettering - it really gets the attention of the receiver and ensures that your fax is noticed :-) While I don't recommend it I have heard of people being so appreciative of being spammed that they send the mail address gifts such as a nice fresh catfish or some of their pet dogs or cats daily offerings. Toss in a hallmark card and they will know that someone truly cares. Not my method, but supposedly it has worked for others.
  4. Restrict posting to the list to members of the list (leaving the list open for all posts is a de facto invitation to be spammed; very few spammers ever actually sign up to a listserv just to spam it, except when it is revenge spam.)
  5. If you absolutely refuse to do #4, then PLEASE implement Procmail filters using spambouncer and *maintain* the regex filters, plus items #1, #6 and #7. If that is too much work, revisit #3.
  6. Implement tcpwrappers on your listserv machine and block direct access to dialups. 99% of the direct injection mail from dialups is spam. There is a dialups listserv and you can get the list of dialups (and updates).
  7. Implement both the RBL and Dorkslayers filters on your server. They work wonders.
  8. WRITE YOUR CONGRESSPERSONS and your STATE LEGISLATORS. Tell them you hate spam and that spammers are thieves who belong in jail, and that takes law. Tell them to support the Smith bill, and have your state legislature extend the definition of the Telecommunications Protection Act to specifically include electronic mail in your state, with criminal penalties including jail terms.

YMMV

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-extropians@extropy.com
[mailto:owner-extropians@extropy.com]On Behalf Of Julien, Howard (c)
Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 1998 4:09 AM To: 'extropians@extropy.com'
Subject: RE: Skyrocket Your WebSite Traffic Overnight

I'm beginning to wonder if some form of retaliation can or should be applied to the growing number of spammers we seem to be getting.

Comments?