In learning how spam filters work, I read something interesting. You know those chain letters that your friends forward around? The ones that say stuff like "Forward to 10 friends in the next 30 seconds or your dog will drop dead"? Frequently spammers will begin those chain letters for the express purpose of gathering e-mail addresses. So, don't forward them if you get them.
__________________
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen! - Samuel Adams
I understand that as they get forwarded the header fills with legitimate email addresses (which the spammers covet), but one thing I've wondered is how the originators make sure that those addresses make it back to them--do you know the details of how that works?
I also delete them though may read ones that are quotes or a nice thought,etc. I do feel bad about the ones that are raising money for a cause and imply if you don't continue to send, then the group won't get the money. But oh well.
Dilbert, I am sure that there are several methods. But there are two I can immediately think of. There are chain letters that contain "return and report" instructions, such as fake online petitions. Also, most of the chain letters contain graphics. The spammers love to embed a graphic in an email that reports whether the email address is live or not. In the latter case they wouldn't care about getting the email sent back to them at any point, because each recipient would be reporting back their email address just by reading it.
__________________
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen! - Samuel Adams
You mean they aren't??! Drat. There goes my retirement plan.
__________________
"The promptings of the Holy Ghost will always be sufficient for our needs if we keep to the covenant path. Our path is uphill most days, but the help we receive for the climb is literally divine." --Elaine S. Dalton
I giggle at the ones that say I've won a European lottery.
I find it interesting that I've noticed is the majority of the spam mail has misspelled words in the subject line. I wonder if it's possible to filter on that :)
__________________
Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul And sings the tune--without the words And never stops at all.... --Emily Dickinson
Well, you could, but you'd be filtering typo-prone and bad speller friends, too.
__________________
"The promptings of the Holy Ghost will always be sufficient for our needs if we keep to the covenant path. Our path is uphill most days, but the help we receive for the climb is literally divine." --Elaine S. Dalton
Too late, Coco. Someone stupid must have brushed against you. "Stoopidity" is the first sign.
__________________
"The promptings of the Holy Ghost will always be sufficient for our needs if we keep to the covenant path. Our path is uphill most days, but the help we receive for the climb is literally divine." --Elaine S. Dalton
You all are just jealous because I win email lotteries at least every week. Sometimes even several times a day. If only you were as rich as I am.
__________________
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen! - Samuel Adams
