[plug] [OT] Australian Spam Act

Scott Middleton scott at linuxit.com.au
Wed Jun 23 09:34:38 WST 2004


On Wed, 2004-06-23 at 08:39, Alex Polglaze wrote:
> Simon Newton wrote:
> > He also told me that because it contains a working unsubscribe link and
> > the identity of the sender, it is not classed as spam.
> > 
> 
> This is correct. If you unsubscribe now and then they send you further e-mails, 
> then they are in breach of the act. If you do not unsubscribe then that is 
> implied consent.
> 

Except they now have a *real* email address that works. So you may no
longer get SPAM from them but they will sell it to others.

It is a good example why the SPAM laws actually are feeding spammers.
Even now social engineering is convincing people to hit that
un-subscribe button giving spammers more to spam.


Speaking of SPAM. This is how my day ended yesterday:

430pm - Spent 10 minutes go through my filtered spam folder to make sure
no one i actually wanted was there. Like IT "Professionals" using
pictures as backgrounds with Exchange server priorities.

5pm - Arrived home picked up junk from letter box and through in
recycling bin. Just doing my bit for the planet!

510PM - Phone rang - Caller ID said "Private" 90% chance of being a
phone spammer. Answered phone "If your selling something I'm not
interested" 3 Sec later i hung up - I wasn't interested.

520 - 2 girls knocking on my door telling me that my phone has a new
service attached to it and this if i joined AAPT i would be able to use
it. I said, "You have got to be f*****g joking, the only service I want
is to be left alone for five minutes, can you do that!!" I "gently"
closed the door. I felt bad after that. Then i realised that door to
door people can't possibly have a soul anyway!

530 - Turn on TV to get spammed by the Maccas manager telling me that
his burgers are un-healthy. I got hungry and had dinner - not maccas

That is not a joke that is what i went through except for the times and
doesn't include the people coming in or ringing up asking why Xandros
didn't work or the several calls from phone companies per day. 

If only it was just Email SPAM. I would have so much more time to work.


With Irony and Humour


-- 
Scott Middleton <scott at linuxit.com.au>
Linux Information Technology




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