# I am in computer spam withdrawl

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-in-computer-spam-withdrawl/121506>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 30, 2002, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-in-computer-spam-withdrawl/121506 "2002-07-30T11:00:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-in-computer-spam-withdrawl/121506/21 "2002-07-30T15:24:27Z")

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I use [Activatormail.com](http://Activatormail.com), free, no spam or viruses ever. But thats what they promise.

If you are wondering, no ads either.

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**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-in-computer-spam-withdrawl/121506/22 "2002-07-30T19:12:56Z")

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For what it’s worth, my company’s email system was down for maintenance a couple of months ago, and a lot of us set up Hotmail accounts to provide a point of contact for outside vendors. I used my internal email name, which luckily had not been taken, and I got my first spam seven minutes after setting up the box. The only thing I can conclude is that the biggest spam outfits constantly bombard the major email domains (AOL, Hotmail, etc.) with millions of randomly generated names (“aaaaa,” “aaaab,” “aaaac,” etc.) up to a certain length; their automated mailing system must recognize when a message quits bouncing, and shifts that name over to the “good” list. I have no other way to explain how the spammers found me within seven minutes.

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**Author:** ![lothos2002](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/df788c/32.png) [@lothos2002](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lothos2002)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-in-computer-spam-withdrawl/121506/23 "2002-07-30T21:40:23Z")

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Maybe this should go on a different thread, but I’ll ask anyway:  
Has anyone ever bought anything from spam messages? I don’t mean just replied to the mail, but actually bought something, refinanced their mortgages, bought the pills that do something or the other to your nether-regions?  
I guess someone must have, but until now I have never met anyone who admits it! What gives?

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