birdfeedr
Premium,MVM
join:2001-08-11
Warwick, RI
1 edit | better odds than
Power Ball. 
Ya gotta play to win.™ |
|
Ytsejamer1
join:2008-01-18
Somersworth, NH
| So you're sayin' there's a chance....
thought that dumb and dumber line was appropriate! 
On another related note I'm still enjoying the fact that my work gets 90K less spam emails a day with that spam company getting closed down last week. |
|
TKJunkMail
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
 ·Comcast
1 edit |  Scientists should be prosecuted for 350 million spam msgs
Using 'proxy bots' the researchers used 75,869 zombie machines to conduct a fake spam campaign. "After 26 days, and almost 350 million email messages, only 28 sales resulted," says the research paper -- a response rate of just 0.00001 per cent - but still hugely profitable. Did they get law enforcement OK to send out 350 million spam msgs? If not, they should be prosecuted for sending spam email. They could have done their research in other ways than actually sending out 350 million spam emails.
--
My BLOG .. .. Internet News .. .. My Web Page
Ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya punk? |
|
TSI Gabe
Premium,VIP
join:2007-01-03
Chatham, ON | Spam?
So they had to send more spam just to figure this out? |
|
AnonDuffer
@kaballero.com | reply to TKJunkMail
Re: Scientists should be prosecuted for 350 million spam msgs
Ayup!
Usually when someone publicly admits to a crime some aspiring young prosecutor jumps up to prosecute.
They spammed. They sold. They profited. They admit it.
Easy enough to try this one. |
|
ksuderman
join:2001-10-21
Poughkeepsie, NY
| reply to TKJunkMail
I was wondering the same thing, and not only law enforcement but the university's ok for this. Not only did the researchers send out spam they also committed 76,000 acts of criminal trespass. Most "respectable" universities have ethics guidelines for researchers: first commit no crimes, second don't use humans without their informed consent. I wonder if the researchers got the informed consent of the 76,000 owners of the zombie machines they took over?
--
In theory there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice there is. |
|
Nightfall
My Goal Is To Deny Yours
Premium,MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI
 ·Site5.com
 ·AT&T Midwest
·Comcast
| Let me calculate this
Cost of buying 350 million email addresses = $15
Cost of sending 350 email messages = $5 (if that)
28 sales returned resulting in a profit of $10 per sale
$280 - $20 = $260 profit for virtually no investment in time.
--
My domain - Nightfall.net |
|
AnonDuffer
@kaballero.com | reply to TKJunkMail
Re: Scientists should be prosecuted for 350 million spam msgs
Ain't the power of censorship a heady brew? Karl?
They sent the spam.
They sold the product.
They profited.
They admit it.
I think prosecution is appropriate, or am I not even allowed to have an opinion? |
|
jmn1207
Premium
join:2000-07-19
Reston, VA
 ·Verizon FIOS
| reply to Nightfall
Re: Let me calculate this
said by Nightfall  :Cost of buying 350 million email addresses = $15 Cost of sending 350 email messages = $5 (if that) 28 sales returned resulting in a profit of $10 per sale $280 - $20 = $260 profit for virtually no investment in time. Don't forget the satisfaction of making 1 person out of 12.5 million be longer in bed watch 4 zoom! p3n1s ci4liss!! |
|
moonpuppy
join:2000-08-21
Glen Burnie, MD
·Verizon Online DSL
| reply to TKJunkMail
Re: Scientists should be prosecuted for 350 million spam msgs
said by TKJunkMail :Using 'proxy bots' the researchers used 75,869 zombie machines to conduct a fake spam campaign. "After 26 days, and almost 350 million email messages, only 28 sales resulted," says the research paper -- a response rate of just 0.00001 per cent - but still hugely profitable. Did they get law enforcement OK to send out 350 million spam msgs? If not, they should be prosecuted for sending spam email. They could have done their research in other ways than actually sending out 350 million spam emails. It's not like the ISP are going to stop it anytime soon. |
|
woody7
Premium
join:2000-10-13
Torrance, CA
·EarthLink
·DSL EXTREME
| pffttttt........
If they really wanted this to go away, it would. This isn't rocket science. 
Just go after the facilitators.
--
BlooMe |
|
thisisfutile
join:2006-03-11
Newcomerstown, OH
| Whining vs solutions
I see a lot of whining and complaining, but no solutions for a comparable result. I personally was curious about this statistic and now I know. Furthermore, the 28 suckers that were duped would have been duped anyway. I'm sure this sort have thing has been tested before, it's just those people didn't publish it (probably for fear that readers would react like this forum is). I guess now I'm curious if the university gave them their money back with some information about how to avoid spam and the temptations they offer.
Seriously though, what would have been a better approach? |
|
birdfeedr
Premium,MVM
join:2001-08-11
Warwick, RI
·Verizon FIOS
| reply to AnonDuffer
Re: Scientists should be prosecuted for 350 million spam msgs
said by AnonDuffer :
or am I not even allowed to have an opinion?
You have it, and you told us twice! Impatient much?
Actually, I've gotten stuck in the technology loop too. Called in to a local talk radio show, and it sounded like I was cut off, so I called back, and sounded like I was cut off again. So with the phone still connected I launched into a long, creative string of expletives that would make a sailor blush, then hung up.
Turned on the radio to hear the tail end of the host chastising me for my response. "Tell us what you really think." |
|
LiersAllOfThem
@mi.us
| reply to ksuderman
Now see... thats the problem with this country....
Too many Lawyers waiting to sue at the drop of a hat.
Who wants to do research when you have a group
of lawyers leerking overhead waiting for something
to sue about. Get a stinking life! |
|
cornelius785
join:2006-10-26
Worcester, MA
| reply to Nightfall
Re: Let me calculate this
i'd say even the $15 on the email addresses is not really needed since, from what i've read, spammers have bots that scour the internet for email addresses. considering that it looks like spamming is moving more towards bot nets, i'd say the cost of the internet connection is probably only ~$50 with a good bot net. you are also assuming the spammers have somewhat legit business offers as in it isn't a scam to get thousands from you and it won't steal your identity. any way you look at it, there are 2 things that are true about spamming, 1) highly profitable for the work you put in and 2) you are of a person.
sure would be funny if the bot found the spammer's email address and start to spam that address too. |
|
jack b
Gone Fishing
Premium,MVM
join:2000-09-08
Cape Cod
clubs:
·Comcast
| reply to thisisfutile
Re: Whining vs solutions
said by thisisfutile :Seriously though, what would have been a better approach? Too bad they couldn't have disinfected the zombies they accessed, that way they would have eliminated 0.00001 per cent of the problem.
--
~Help Find a Cure for Cancer~
~Proud Member of Team Discovery ~ |
|
Metatron2008
join:2008-09-02
Stockbridge, GA | Spam award!
So if spam only hits 1 in 12.5 million, what special designation do we give to that 'special' person who is one in 12.5? |
|
shadowshack
strange days
Premium
join:2000-09-04
Sewell, NJ | reply to thisisfutile
Re: Whining vs solutions
They sent out about one spam per US population. Take away the computers of the 28 idiots that respond to spam, the profit in spamming disappears, and the rest of us are golden. |
|
Jason Levine
Premium
join:2001-07-13
USA
| reply to Nightfall
Re: Let me calculate this
Yup. It's a 1,400% ROI. It's no wonder that you can't stop spam. With a Rate of Return like that, you will always have someone with a low sense of morals willing to cash in.
--
-Jason Levine
Support a children's charity. Buy a calendar and/or a photo book. Shooting For A Cause |
|
