Subject: How to stamp out M*M*F* spam.

From: [email-masked] (Larry Caldwell)
Date: Mon, 09 Sep 1996 08:43:15 -0700

It's time to get revenge, friends.  You can stop the endlessly crossposted 
chain letter schemes, and have a little fun while you do it.  

In order to participate, these people have to post their mailing address.
OK, mail them something.  Preferably something bulky and disgusting that
they'll have to pay to dispose of.  Imagine the post office delivering
5,000 boxes of turds to one of these people.  Makes you smile, doesn't
it?

If you're not into scatology, mail something like your kitchen scraps.
You can send 1 ounce for 32 cents.  If 5,000 people send even one
ounce, that's over 300 lbs of mail to dispose of, plus many hours of
opening mail just because one of those envelopes just *might* have
money in them.  With really good response, we might get 100,000 people
to send them mail.  That would be  about 3 tons of trash they'd have
to dispose of.

Oh, be sure to not include your return address.  Even if they refuse
delivery, the post office may actually take note of the fact that chain
letters are a federal felony and throw them in jail.

Please make this the chain letter to end all chain letters.  Copy and
crosspost it to every newsgroup.  No, that is not spam, because this is
on topic for every newsgroup that finds itself disrupted by the constant
Make Money Fast schemes.  The usenet community can purge itself of this 
blight, but it's going to take common action.

-- Larry

And, here are the first Mail-a-Turd WINNERS:

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] wrote:
> ** COMPLETELY LEGAL MONEY MAKING OPPORTUNITY **

> *  1. Sandy Kim
> *     3047 David Ave #10
> *     Campbell, CA 95128

> *  2. Jonathan Walker
> *     Rt. 4 Box 218-C
> *     Abbeville, SC 29620

> *  3. D.M.
> *     818 Hollow Creek Dr.
> *     Newbern, TN. 38059
       
> *  4. Michael W. Graham
> *     7342 146th St. SW Apt C
> *     Tacoma, Wa 98439

> *  5. J.W.
> *     8212 NE 219th Avenue
> *     Vancouver, WA 98682

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 13 Sep 1996 04:36:01 GMT

On Mon, 09 Sep 1996 08:43:15 -0700, [email-masked] (Larry

>5,000 boxes of turds to one of these people.  Makes you smile, doesn't

[snip]

The BEST way to stamp it out is to ignore it or else put it in your
newsreader kill file.  Cross-posting as you mention is just as bad as
the original....like I'm doing now.

ND

---

From: [email-masked] (Joe Kesselman)
Date: 18 Sep 1996 18:38:25 GMT

>>chain letter schemes, and have a little fun while you do it.  

I know, we shouldn't be spamming a response to spam (I wrote an essay
in verse on this topic, see http://pages.prodigy.com/keshlam/ravin.html)
.. but this is an important point.

Simpler and more effective: Send a note to postmaster@their_system,
containing a copy of the spam and quietly, politely asking that 
something be done about it. Most ISPs will warn them once or twice,
then kick them off if they persist. And most of these turkeys, after
losing their account once or twice, realize that maybe this isn't
such a bright idea after all.

Your gripe note may want to include the fact that any pyramid scheme
which involves the US mail at any point -- including sending the checks
-- is explicitly and unquestionably against federal law. It is unclear
that the ISP is completely safe from being considered an accomplice,
should it come to that.

There is also an Internet address set up which will accept complaints
under that law and forward them to postal investigators, but so far I 
haven't had to resort to that; the ISPs have been very good about
correcting wayward users.

Ignoring these idiots also works fairly well; killfiles are a wonderful
invention.

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Joseph J. Kesselman             http://pages.prodigy.com/keshlam/
"This note is a production of Novalabs Consulting, which is solely       
responsible for its content. Opinions not necessarily those of IBM."

---

From: Alan H Jones <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 17 Sep 1996 20:51:14 +0100

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked]
writes
>the original....like I'm doing now.
Umm, if you read this post very carefully, you may realise that the
poster is _not_ suggesting that you cross-post, but that you send a
large file by e-mail.  If the M*M*F scammer has to pay for his downloads
this should deter him!
-- 
*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*
#  Alan H Jones   *   I live each day as though it is my last   #
#  Manchester UK  *   ...and one day I know I'll be right!      #
*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*

---

From: [email-masked] (Anthony Salerno)
Date: Sat, 21 Sep 1996 18:39:51 GMT

>OK, mail them something.  Preferably something bulky and disgusting that

You're on the right track, but a bit off on your execution of revenge.

It's easy to COST them something.

You get magazines, right?  They have these little postage paid cards
in them to make it easy for you to subscribe/renew.  Just fill these
things out with the scum's names/addresses, and check the BILL ME box.
They'll get the subscription, AND THE BILL.  This can be done with
bookclubs too, but be sure and check the dullest books--we wouldn't
want them to get anything interesting, would we?

My favorite thing to send these dweebs is those Franklin Mint or other
collectibles.  Easy payment plans, send no money now, just $19.95 a
month for 6 months or whatever, for some useless collectible.  These
cards are often in your Sunday paper.  Sometimes they are not postage
paid, but if you look hard enough, you'll find some that are.

If you want to make certain their address is correct, you can check
the Internet White Pages USA Phone book.

Fat Tony

---

From: [email-masked] (Larry Caldwell)
Date: Sun, 22 Sep 1996 12:17:41 -0700

> Fat Tony

Oh, WOW!  Fat Tony, you are the first patron saint of the Mail a Turd
movement.  I hereby confer the honorable and eternal title of Big
Shit upon thee!

This is a creative use of one set of environmental rapers to actively
harrass another set of environmental rapers!  Justice is served, and
it's their nickel.  It doesn't even cost you a stamp.

This sort of insight is the work of an evil genius of the highest order.

>From  here on out, I'm going to archive every single M*M*F* spam and
spend Sunday morning with the Sunday paper and a pencil.  With any
luck, not only can we cost them a bundle in dump fees, but we can
ruin their credit rating too!

Revenge is sweet.  

-- Larry

---

From: [email-masked] (McInnis)
Date: 23 Sep 1996 15:17:39 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Larry Caldwell) writes:
>...,
>
> We know where they live.  We know their real names.  All you have to do
> is turn off your computer and send them a message they won't forget.
>
> -- Larry
>...

As much as I like the idea of harassing spammers, if your idea actually
catches on, people will just start using it to harass others.  If you
want to harass someone, send MMF to a bunch of newsgroups with a forged
or stolen account and list your intended victim's home address as the
address to send your money to.

Also, there might be some serious legal penalties for sending such items
through the mail in order to harass someone.

-- 
Mickey McInnis - [email-masked]
--
All opinions expressed are my own opinions, not my company's opinions.

---

From: [email-masked] (Steve Pridgeon)
Date: Mon, 23 Sep 1996 13:57:46 -0700

McInnis said:

>catches on, people will just start using it to harass others.

People have been doing so for many years.

>  If you

..thereby becoming a spam artist yourself. Brilliant! %^/

>through the mail in order to harass someone.

And you could get caught by...?

---
                               Steve Pridgeon

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