[lug] off topic, spam laws

[D. Stimits]

Sean Reifschneider wrote:
> 
> On Sun, Feb 10, 2002 at 09:33:42PM -0700, D. Stimits wrote:
> >hate this, but I would also suggest a need to make a legal requirement
> >of providers of free email accounts to gain proof of identity, e.g., via
> >fax or mail or even a scanned driver's license, before offering the
> 
> I don't see how this would help...  The spammers don't really *CARE* about
> the mail address or account.  They don't need it, they don't use it for
> sending the messages.  In fact, many of the messages I see use a group of
> what look like randomly generated user names at those sorts of domain
> names...

This is backwards of my intent. I also realize that they bulk CC it or
BCC it to names like a dictionary attack. But I would say about 3/4 of
the spam I receive did originate from hotmail.com or one of the similar
free email sites. Most of the spammers are smart enough to not spam from
their home account, usually they do not pay for a commercial account,
and would get banned. My point being that although places like
hotmail.com do cut off accounts after-the-fact, they do nothing to keep
it from respawning like a daemon doing instant fork and exec (or more
like httpd, 8 forks and exec). Somehow I would like to see some for of
"unique identifier" among free email accounts, based on something that
at least allows a significant part of the spammers to be denied repeat
abuse accounts from the same free account service. Make them work harder
to keep their anonymous insulation. Require those who make their living
selling advertisements via piggy back along with free email account
users take at least part of the burdon for allowing spammers such
unlimited access. If it cut out 25% of the abusers that use anonymous
throw-away accounts, it would be worthwhile. So what if it takes 1 day
extra to get a free email account?

D. Stimits, stimits at idcomm.com

> 
> Sean
> --
>  A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops.
>  On my desk I have a workstation...
> Sean Reifschneider, Inimitably Superfluous <jafo at tummy.com>
> tummy.com - Linux Consulting since 1995. Qmail, KRUD, Firewalls, Python
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