Re: Petition against stoning AND tech query on spam/scam likelihood.

From: Gina Miller (nanogirl@halcyon.com)
Date: Wed Aug 13 2003 - 23:39:47 MDT

  • Next message: Gina Miller: "P.S. Re: Petition against stoning AND tech query on spam/scam likelihood."

    The story of this woman is a valid one, and Amnesty International is a
    reputable organization. In their privacy statement they inform users that
    they will not redistribute the information you provide except for the cause
    in which you are providing it. Disclosure issues are elaborated here:
    http://www.amnesty.org.au/privacy.html and would only be done if they were
    required to do so by law (criminal or court reasons). There are no hidden
    cookies used either, accept for their Australian site, which is non
    identifiable. This is such an important cause, and since you will just be
    forwarding an email to others that will provide a link to the form that
    requests their email address, there is no apparent spam threat. I commend
    your concern and have filled out the petition.

    Gina "Nanogirl" Miller
    Nanotechnology Industries
    http://www.nanoindustries.com
    Personal: http://www.nanogirl.com

    > Hi all,
    >
    > I received the following request to sign a petition aimed at
    > preventing the stoning of a Nigerian woman for adultery.
    > Apparently a similar petition has been successful before.
    >
    > I have signed it but I am not going to forward it as it
    > requests to people in my address book because I
    > don't know that to do so would not be exposing them to
    > an email spamming scam.
    >
    > Here's the quandry.
    >
    > (1) This seems like a very worth while petition to sign if
    > something so easy to do can have such a positive outcome
    > and the technique could be used elesewhere.
    >
    > But.
    >
    > (2) Can someone with the tech knowledge please advise
    > on the safety of forwarding it? It asks for an email address
    > at the point of signing. Possibly that is the real danger point
    > where people would be exposing themselves to spammers
    > when trying to do something humane.
    >
    > Its annoying, but it seems to me that it would be easy for
    > scammers (who'd be spammers) to use just such a tool.
    >
    > Brett Paatsch
    >
    > -----
    >
    > >Hearing on AMINA LAWAL SET TO BE STONED ON
    > > - 27 AUGUST 2003
    > > The Nigerian Supreme Court has upheld the death
    > >sentence for Amina Lawal, condemned for the crime of
    > >adultery on August 19th 2002, to be buried up to her
    > >neck and stoned to death. Her death was postponed so
    > >that she could continue to nurse her baby. Hearing on
    > >her Execution is now set for 27 AUGUST 2003.
    > >If you haven't been following this case, you might
    > >like to know that Amina's baby is regarded as the
    > >'evidence' of her adultery.
    > >Amina's case is being handled by the Spanish branch of
    > >Amnesty International, which is attempting to put
    > >together enough signatures to make the Nigerian
    > >government rescind the death sentence. A similar
    > >campaign saved another Nigerian woman, Safiya,
    > >condemned in similar circumstances. By March 4th the
    > >petition had amassed over 2,600,000 signatures. It
    > >will only take you a few seconds to sign Amnesty's
    > >online petition. Please sign the petition now, then
    > >copy this message into a new email and send it to
    > >everyone in your address book.
    > >Go to the web page
    > > http://www.amnesty.org.au/e-card/petition.asp
    > >Thanks for reading this. Please take the time to
    > >sign the petition...
    > --------------------
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >

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