Spamcop contacted hosting upline that my site was on and a little while later sent me an email. I won't reveal host here as that may prevent this article getting published (as lots of you are probably hosted on them) but host didn't bother contacting me either, they just closed my domain instantly. Did they assume I might be innocent either? No! I only found out when I went to check my site - you should do this regularly.

Eventually I resolved matter with hosting upline but throughout this whole process I was a condemned man - convicted and sentenced to death without even getting a hearing first - let alone a fair one. For heavens sake, even some third world dictatorships pretend to have a fair trial - not even that happened here.

So a complaint was made to Spamcop - they accepted it without question - heh, after all I'm not a big name and even if person forgets they have subscribed Spamcop says that is still spam - and then my website went down.

Now I was lucky - I don't scare too easily and I don't give up a fight. However I admit this episode was terrifying and caused me lost sleep. It also made me realise how fragile your business can be and how we must all fight against such hysteria - we must remain innocent until proven guilty.

Personally if I reported spam I would want it investigated and both sides given a chance to explain themselves before any action was taken. I don't think this is too much to ask do you?

So please think very carefully before reporting spam and contact person who sent email first to discuss matter. Remember, if you don't one day you could end up in this sort of trouble yourself.

HE WHO LIVES BY THE SWORD DIES BY THE SWORD

Don't use your sword and simply send off a spam complaint without thinking. Take it very seriously because consequences are ultra serious.

However all is not gloom and doom. There is an organisation I have discovered that is fighting back against these self proclaimed spam vigilantes. E-crucible is a wonderful organisation which I encourage you all to join for Free and help them in their mission. Here is their mission statement and website:

http://www.roibot.com/w.cgi?R18328_ecrucible

e-Crucible, Inc. is committed to returning sanity and responsibility to Internet. We feel that hysteria regarding use of what is termed "Unsolicited Commercial Email" (UCE or "Spam") that is prevalent in Internet culture today is unfair, irresponsible and counter- productive to maintaining Internet as a free marketplace.

The Internet respects no national boundaries. Therefore, any policies regarding Internet will be most effective if made at international level. We will advocate for a fair and reasonable INTERNATIONAL policy regarding "Unsolicited Commercial Email" (UCE or "Spam") and its fair enforcement by all Internet Service Providers.

We are commited to opposing by any ethical, political, and legal means available vigilante activities of "anti- Spam" fanatics and unfair and unjust handling of "Spam" complaints by certain Internet Service Providers.

The Internet is greatest tool for freedom in history of mankind. e-Crucible believes in maintaining Internet as a free marketplace for exchange of ideas, products and services.

I highly commend E-crucible to you and urge you to join their email discussion list to discuss these matters here:

mailto:e-crucible-subscribe@topica.com

You might not think you will have your life ruined by a spam complaint but believe me, it can happen. I am not ruined myself, but I will personally fight to bring some sanity back to spam debate. I hope you will support our cause and bring fairness and democracy back to internet. Remember, we should all be innocent until proven guilty.

But spam... hooboy!

SQUISH 'EM LIKE BUGS!

I believe we should have a constitutional amendment allowing cruel and unusual punishment in case of spammers. Maybe that tummy thing like Japanese do when they get depressed.

As with drugs, mere possession of bulk emailing software should result in immediate confiscation of computer it was on, as well as any nice clothes, jewelry, or lawn statuary that might have been purchased with spam profits.

Just thinking about sending spam should be illegal, like joking about bombs in an airport. If I get to be Grand Inquisatrix, I'll have my own force of men-in-black dudes to sniff out spamsters and be really mean to them and call them names until they promise to be good little Netizens again.

It's for their own good.

IN CLOSING...

Having looked at Websites of some of anti-spam crusaders, I know that I am not alone in my revulsion, disgust and utter skin-crawling contempt for spam.

Like them, I have turned a blind-eye to more mundane problems like hunger, illiteracy, disease, country music and poverty so as to focus on true menace plaguing our cyber-society.

If you wish to support my crusade, you may do so by sending me $99, and as a free gift I'll send you a CD with email addresses of 40 million Netizens eagerly awaiting news of your latest product or service.

Linda Cox (J.A.M.G.) was born in a speeding stagecoach amid the screams of fellow passengers as insane, wild-eyed horses dragged them all crashing toward the brink of destruction. That stagecoach was the planet Earth, those passengers were the human race, and Linda Cox is Just Another Marketing Guru. (The horses were just regular horses.) http://www.LindaCox.com/