Torrent of spam bogs down the Net
Continuing the long-standing TPRS tradition of being the first to bring you news that is... appallingly self-evident ("When news breaks, we call a mechanic"), here's a news flash: SPAM IS FILLING UP YOUR E-MAIL BOX. I know, I know; you probably figured all of those ads for inkjet printers and farm animal sex were from people just trying to do you a favor. Well, guess what? They're just trying to sell you stuff. Whodathunkit??
"In September of 2001, we measured that 8 percent of all Internet e-mail was spam," said Linda Smith Munyan, a spokeswoman for Brightmail, which provides companies with spam-blocking software. "For (2002), it was 40 percent."
The flood seems to have gotten worse during the holiday season with a spike in the number of electronic pitches for would-be gifts such as a pasta cooker, a tiny, remote-controlled race car and a Santa Claus figurine.
Technological and legal efforts to stop spammers have largely resulted in what's being called an Internet arms race that finds the junk e-mailers quickly adapting to overcome actions meant to thwart them.
"E-mail has become really a fundamental communications tool for many of us, in business, our social lives, in political activism, all facets of American society and other societies around the world," said John Mozena, spokesman for the Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email, an organization devoted to stemming the tide of electronic junk mail.
However, he said, the volume of spam may push some people away from using e-mail.
"People don't see enough of a value ... to get around the downside of having to deal with all the spam, some of which is disturbing for some folks to look at," he said. "We're approaching a time when people are going to stop using e-mail."
David Sorkin, an associate professor of law at John Marshall Law School in Chicago and a cyberlaw expert, said such a scenario isn't that far-fetched. During a recent visit to Japan he saw a glimpse of what could happen.
Ninety percent of the text messages the Japanese receive on their cell phones are spam for dating services, Sorkin said.
While I appreciate hearing from my long-lost Nigerian relatives, and from Cindy, Pam, and Jessica- all of whom seem concerned that I may have too much disposable income- it would be nice if people would just leave me alone. What really aggravates me is getting spam telling me how I can get software so I can spam millions of people at a time. Isn't that double jeopardy??
