Got Spam?
In some dark version of the near future the above question could be used by any teacher in any primary school as an example for what is a rhetorical question.
Don't get me wrong I like spam (the Hormel brand) as much as the next guy; it's the electronic version of spam that does not sit well with me.
Now days, it really is impossible to be connected to the internet and not to experience spam in one form or another (Email, Instant messaging etc).
It's been 28 years since the first recorded spam email message and it seems that every year it just gets worse and worth.
Don't think for a minute that the fight against spam is a stagnant one.
It's a continues battle between the legitimate internet community and the spammer's, not unlike the battle between the police and criminals; every time a new spam technique is developed a counter anti spam measure is created to try and thwart spammers and vice versa.
But why does commercial spam prevail? What is the reason so many resources and man power is devoted to create spam, circumvent user's spam defense mechanisms and deliver those annoying spam messages?
The answer is that commercial spam is very big business.
But who in their right minds would buy from spammers you ask?
Well apparently there are enough people out there to keep the spam machine fueled and running. Every time some one purchases a product or service as a result of a spam message or simply follows the links to the spammer website he directly contributes to the war effort of spammers every where.
The bottom line is that commercial spamming is a business and like any other business it can not survive if it can not produce profits.
Think about this fact the next time you consider buying anything or just following a link that resulted from spam.
If commercial spamming would to become unprofitable, commercial spamming would cease to exist for all intents and purposes.
In my version of a perfect world, the entire legitimate internet community, after reading the above section :), would some how, miraculously and spontaneously cease to buy any spam related products and services or follow links to any spam related sites.
But alas, the world is not my idea of a perfect place and we have to accept the fact that spam is probably here to stay for a very long time. The only thing we can do is to continue the arm's race and try to keep ourselves one step ahead of the spammers.
So what can be done to reduce the effects of spam on each and every one of us?
Fortunately there is something that can help us fight spam.
It is something I like to call the "The 7 Commandments of Spam Avoidance".
If you follow those commandments you would not see the light or get a secure sit in your version of heaven but you should see a significant reduction in the amount of spam that you receive.
Page 2 >>>
|
|
