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The advertisement from "Jeff" was part of one of the most mammoth
spamming initiatives I've ever seen.  I saw it (and a companion
piece which offered an instruction manual on how to spam the
internet for profit) at least a dozen times, in various forms.
Twice, the automatic spam-intercepting software at UNB caught it
before it was distributed to CASLL.  But "Jeff" is pretty clever,
and totally without the slightest hint of ethics or consideration:
he'd ruin the Internet for $5 in clear profit, I'm sure.

> Is there any way we can monitor/control content on our list?  Or
> should we investigate the fine art of "flaming" as a means to pull
> ranks when unwanted flotsam and jetsam washes up on our shores? (I
> presume that we're probably too polite a bunch for that, but I
> understand it involves everyone sending the perpetrator a number of
> messages all at once to flood their mailbox).

Unfortunately, there is nothing whatever to be done.  These
slimeballs get accounts with internet providers, use them to spam
the net, and when the provider gets flooded with protest messages
and cancels their account, just go find another one and do it again.
They never see our outraged flames (they _do_ see profits from
the gullible people Michael referred to who buy their garbage,
though, which is why they keep doing it).   I understand there _is_
software which would accept only mail from members of the list, but
there are problems with it, and we haven't been bothered often enough
for me to try to figure out how to get it implemented.  So far, the
spam filter has been working pretty effectively (it sends
questionable messages to me, and I decide whether they're really
intended for CASLL or not.  So far, none has been).

                                        -- Russ

[By the way, anyone who's like a boxed set of grammar and style
patches, together with an instruction manual and a certified cattle
prod for difficult cases, can send $49.95 in money order or cash (no
personal cheques, please) to the address below, along with a written
statement affirming that the merchandise will only be used for
ethical purposes, and not for passing writing competency tests.]

                                __|~_
Russell A. Hunt            __|~_)_ __)_|~_ HOMEPAGE: www.StThomasU
Department of English      )_ __)_|_)__ __)   .ca/faculty/hunt.htm
St. Thomas University        |  )____) |  EMAIL: [log in to unmask]
Fredericton, New Brunswick___|____|____|____/  FAX: (506) 450-9615
E3B 5G3   CANADA          \                / PHONE: (506) 363-3891
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