# SPAMers Win! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 23, 2000, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spamers-win/9236 "2000-03-23T02:12:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Carl\_Berry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@Carl\_Berry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carl_Berry)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2000, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spamers-win/9236/1 "2000-03-23T02:12:00Z")
## IT seems that the Supreme Court has decided that unsolisited e-mail is legal. I’m starting to get some. I expect a flood. Whatn can we do? Ideas/coments? Carl ---
**Author:** ![SoMoMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@SoMoMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoMoMom)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2000, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spamers-win/9236/2 "2000-03-23T02:17:00Z")
I use a provider that tries to filter spam. On my Yahoo address I have a bulk mail folder that is supposed to send all of the spam to there. Then I block mail from addresses that send me spam. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2000, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spamers-win/9236/3 "2000-03-23T02:34:00Z")
Hotmail has the same thing & seems to work pretty well. As for my regular email account, I have never had a problem with spam- I get maybe **one** unsolicited email every two weeks. I can’t imagine I would be bothered by spam even if I got 10-15 per day, the message header identifies it as junk mail and I can group them all together with one click and delete them all with another click in less time than it takes to hang up on a telemarketer; it takes maybe five seconds. If I was of a more neurotic nature and felt I just had to open & read _every email I got_, then I suppose I might be annoyed. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2000, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spamers-win/9236/4 "2000-03-23T02:39:00Z")
Also, just because it’s legal doesn’t mean the spammers ISP allows it. When I’m in a vindictive mood, I check the ToS for the originating address, plus for any URLs or other email addresses mentioned in the text and forward a complaint. I’ve caused a couple of people to lose accounts. It’s mostly futile, but it at least inconveniences them. ---
**Author:** ![Jois](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ea666f/32.png) [@Jois](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jois)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2000, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spamers-win/9236/5 "2000-03-23T04:05:00Z")
Yuk. * * * Are you driving with your eyes open or are you using The Force? - A. Foley ---
**Author:** ![TheNerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/858c86/32.png) [@TheNerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheNerd)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2000, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spamers-win/9236/6 "2000-03-23T06:01:00Z")
I’m proud to say that I once got Robert Lovell kicked from an ISP. If you don’t know who he is, thank your lucky stars. ---
**Author:** ![Akatsukami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea666f/32.png) [@Akatsukami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akatsukami)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2000, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spamers-win/9236/7 "2000-03-23T12:59:00Z")
Carl, it may be that I am not current with all of the developments, but I believe that the _Oregon_ SC has declared that the _Oregon_ law on the subject of e-mail spam is unconstitutional – not at all the same thing. Now, as to what can be done about – I suggest that you go to [the SPAM FAQ](http://digital.net/~gandalf/spamfaq.html), read it, and adopt a strategy consistent with your computer, mail system, and other resources. I’ll tell you what _won’t_ work – sitting in a chair wringing your hands, and whining, “Lordy, lordy, I’ll vote for _any_ Mussolini _manque_, just so long as the trains run on time and my mailbox is free of spam”. The trains _won’t_ run on time anyway, and you’ll regret that decision. * * * “I don’t just want you to feel envy. I want you to suffer, I want you to bleed, I want you to die a little bit each day. And I want you to thank me for it.” – What “Let’s just be friends” _really_ means ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2000, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spamers-win/9236/8 "2000-03-23T13:09:00Z")
I still get some SPAM even through my ISP’s filter. What kills me though, is that congress said that email would not be SPAM as long as a link was provided so a recipient could be removed from the address list. It would seem that congress never said that the removal link had to work. About 75% of the SPAM I’ve gotten has had broken links or false email addresses. If they worked properly, I’d be happy. Even better would be a central place where if they removed your address nobody would have it, like with bulk (snail)mail ads. ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spamers-win/9236/9 "2000-03-27T08:08:00Z")
A useful address with lots of hints about fighting Spam (and telemarketers!) is [www.junkbusters.com](http://www.junkbusters.com) (sorry - don’t know how to post links on here yet). -Darren. ---
**Author:** ![Anti\_Pro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Anti\_Pro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anti_Pro)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spamers-win/9236/10 "2000-03-27T08:49:00Z")
I did a thread on this awhile back Carl, it is so frustrating. My youngest son is only fifteen and gets Adult XXX rated stuff on his e mail account, we placed a block, but the only way that particular company is blocked, I have to go in and get the letter/invitation, copy it and send it with a header to NetAddress. It stops THAT company, but five more replace it. ## At ‘Go’ forum, I’ve had that e mail account for a few months, NO spam, and I have no special blocks on it either. I’ve not been able to figure out why. But, you’re probably right, the Spammers would find a way around whatever limits would be placed upon them anyway. :mad: Judy * * * “Um, according to who? Nothing more than a high brow troll, though occasionally the bi polar personality swung in a constructive direction on innocuous topics.” Omniscient