Un-Due Process - Part 1

Written by Elena Fawkner


Continued from page 1

The moral ofrepparttar story? If you use spam-filtering software andrepparttar 132790 complaint-generating function that comes with it, haverepparttar 132791 common decency and responsibility to stop and think about who you're adding to your hitlist. If you don't, and you get it wrong, don't be surprised to find a process- server on your doorstep.

SPAM FILTERING SOFTWARE

To give SpamKiller its due, it appears to be an excellent product. There's a free 30 day download available at http://www.spamkiller.com . I downloaded it myself to see what, if any, cautions are given to users aboutrepparttar 132792 need to make sure thatrepparttar 132793 recipient ofrepparttar 132794 complaint is, in fact, responsible forrepparttar 132795 email concerned.

Well, there is such a caution but it took me a good 45 minutes to find it. The software comes with an excellent, comprehensive built-in help facility. Tucked away atrepparttar 132796 end ofrepparttar 132797 page on "Sending manual complaints" isrepparttar 132798 caution:

"Note: SpamKiller does not check thatrepparttar 132799 loaded addresses are appropriate forrepparttar 132800 selected message. Don't use a ... complaint unless you are certain that its recipients are responsible forrepparttar 132801 spam that you are complaining about."

I would respectfully suggest that this warning be displayed in a more prominent position, coupled with warnings about what can happen to those who userepparttar 132802 software in an irresponsible manner so as to ensnare innocent parties.

WESTOPSPAM.NET

Now, let's take a look at WeStopSpam.net's role in all of this. In my case, "all" they did was forward a complaint they had received from our friend inrepparttar 132803 previous section to my webhost. Here's what they sent:

"From: 17846286@reports.westopspam.net To: abuse@dumbhost.com X-Loop: one Subject: [WeStopSpam (http://www.ahbbo.com) id:17846286] So-and-So Newsletter Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 23:14:50 -0700 (MST) X-Mailer: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 5.5; Windows 98) via http://westopspam.net/ v1.3.1 - WeStopSpam V1.3.1 - This message is brief for your comfort. ... Spamvertised website: http://www.ahbbo.com > http://www.ahbbo.com is 63.249.189.106; Tue, 27 Feb 2001 02:56:58 GMT Offending message: ..."

So, my website was reported for spamming because it was "spamvertised" - lovely butchering ofrepparttar 132804 English language, I must say. This appears to be a coined term for a website that is advertised by means of spam. This means that any paying advertiser inrepparttar 132805 ezine itself is treated as a spammer, merely because spam was used to sendrepparttar 132806 ezine.

I checked outrepparttar 132807 website ofrepparttar 132808 ezine concerned. It proclaimed that its 85,000 subscribers were all "opt-in" i.e. thatrepparttar 132809 subscribers each took some positive step to have their email address added torepparttar 132810 ezine's mailing list.

Any reputable advertiser is going to be concerned thatrepparttar 132811 recipients ofrepparttar 132812 ezine are opt-in, so this would have been of comfort torepparttar 132813 advertisers concerned in this instance.

Mind you, when I sent an email torepparttar 132814 address displayed atrepparttar 132815 publisher's site, it bounced. Maybe this person IS a spammer. I don't know. And that'srepparttar 132816 point. How are you supposed to know that if you're justrepparttar 132817 advertiser or article author?

But, as far as WeStopSpam.net is concerned, that doesn't matter. The mere fact thatrepparttar 132818 advertiser's opportunity was advertised inrepparttar 132819 allegedly spam email is sufficient to makerepparttar 132820 advertiser a legitimate target. In my case, I didn't even advertise! The publisher ofrepparttar 132821 ezine ran my article. How many of you out there make your articles freely available for reprint?

WeStopSpam.net would presumably have you restrictrepparttar 132822 reprint rights to your articles to only those publishers who you know for a FACT are sending to a 100% guaranteed opt-in list. How do you do that? Quite simply, you can't. To expect any such thing is just unreal and smacks of an appalling lack of understanding about howrepparttar 132823 online world works.

A reasonable compromise would be if reprint rights were granted to publishers who send their ezine to an opt-in list. I would have no objection to that. Of course, that wouldn't help you with WeStopSpam.org because their policy is to shoot first and ask questions later ... but wait, on second thought, they don't even ask questions later. They just shoot.

You don't get a "please explain" or anything else. You're convicted first and then it's up to you to prove that you're innocent. Of course, by then,repparttar 132824 damage is done. But WeStopSpam.org doesn't care. I'm sure they see it as just a casualty of war.



Elena Fawkner is editor of A Home-Based Business Online .... practical home business ideas, resources and strategies for the work-from-home entrepreneur. http://www.ahbbo.com


"Shortcuts To Control Terroristic Email!"

Written by A.T.Rendon


Continued from page 1

"These operators high-jacked Web sites, 'kidnapped' consumers and held them captive," said Jodie Bernstein, Director ofrepparttar FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. "They exposed surfers, including children, torepparttar 132788 seamiest sort of material and incapacitated their computers so they couldn't escape. They copied as many as 25 million Web pages from sites as diverse asrepparttar 132789 Harvard Law Review andrepparttar 132790 Japanese Friendship Garden. When consumers used search engines to find subjects as innocent as 'kids onrepparttar 132791 net,' 'news about Kosovo,' or 'wedding services,' they risked being exposed to a torrent of tawdry images. This scam is outrageous and we want it offrepparttar 132792 Internet. We're confidentrepparttar 132793 court will help us arrange that."

The Federal Trade Commission is a powerful regulatory agency and they will accept complaints from consumers on both SPAM and also a Web Page or Web Sites that are using deceptive or terroristic tactics.

You may forward unsolicited commercial e-mail (spam) torepparttar 132794 Commission, by sending it directly to them at: mailto:UCE@FTC.GOV

I would suggest you not bother them with ordinary run ofrepparttar 132795 mill SPAM but rather limit your complaints to email likerepparttar 132796 one I described above that literally takes control of your computer.

You may also file a complaint withrepparttar 132797 Commission online by visiting their web site at: http://www.ftc.gov/

Scroll torepparttar 132798 bottom of their web site where you will seerepparttar 132799 link to "File A Complaint Online".

On a more immediate basis, it is important to know at least a few ofrepparttar 132800 handy Windows "Shortcut" commands that will allow you to regain control of your computer withoutrepparttar 132801 need to shut it down all together.

For a more extensive list of Window's Shortcuts delivered to you FREE via Auto-Responder, send a blank email to: mailto:shortcuts@emailexchange.org

Perhaps one ofrepparttar 132802 best commands to know by heart is: ALT + F4 = Quittingrepparttar 132803 open program

That command comes in very handy when you have a window open that takes up your entire screen area and does not showrepparttar 132804 customary Minimize/Restore/Close boxes that are found inrepparttar 132805 upper right hand corner of all Window's programs.

Another good one to keep in mind is: ALT + SPACE = Display ofrepparttar 132806 System Menu that allows you to Restore-Move-Resize-Minimize-Maximize or Close a window.

And as a last resort, if nothing else seems to be working, you can always try: CTRL + ESC = Opensrepparttar 132807 Start Menu from which you can properly shut down your computer.

Untilrepparttar 132808 powers that be take direct action to stop SPAM at every possible opportunity, we will all have to put up withrepparttar 132809 nuisance of deleting junk email from our inbox. But at least we do not have to toleraterepparttar 132810 invasion of our computer with code meant to make us a hostage on our own desktop and in our own homes.

A.T.Rendon is an entrepreneur and published writer. Subscribe to FREE Business Classifieds Newsletter & receive FREE online access to our Password Protected "FREE Submit To Over 2.7 MILLION FREE Ad Sites!" mailto:subscribe_fbcn9@emailexchange.org Visit us at: http://emailexchange.org/?Articles


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