Jerry Hodgen of JupiterMedia’s Enterprise IT Planet Security writes in a Jan. 24 article:
“One of my New Years resolutions is to fight back on spam mail. I am tired of the unscrupulous spammers taking a toll on the network, PCs, and any number of e-mail servers across corporate America.
I am referring to the unsolicited bulk e-mail that we all receive, some more than others. If you want to find a place online to buy prescription drugs, X-rated adult products, or any number of sundry items, all you have to do is establish an e-mail account. In most cases it won’t be long before the unsolicited messages start showing up in your e-mail box.
How Do Spammers Obtain Mailing Lists?
One may ask how their e-mail address gets on a Spam Mail list. There are a number of ways; however the best way I know is to sign up for those “free” trade magazines. As my father used to tell me, “son nothing in this life comes free”. This holds true for the trade rags.
These magazines must recoup their costs and make a profit some way, and one of their main revenue engines is selling your postal and e-mail addresses to vendors of products you may purchase, and in a lot of cases, to any bulk e-mailer who is willing to pay.
Another surefire way is to purchase items via the Internet. In most cases at the end of the purchase agreement there are a couple of “opt in” and “opt out” blocks to check, which indicate you do or do not desire to receive promotional material via your e-mail.”
So basically what Jerry is saying is that trade publications are largely responsible for Viagra and pornography spam.
Yeah, Jerry, that’s right. Whenever my publisher can’t make her numbers, the first thing she does is jets off to Nigeria to shop our subscriber list around to any scam artist with two naira to rub together.
Here’s an idea, Jerry: If trade publications building relationships with qualified readerships and profiting by selling access to them disgusts you so much, then why don’t you either convince your publisher to start charging for content or start working for free?
God, I hate reporters.
