Why Spam Works

[cdre]

Think about it. Why would a broad spectrum of marketers -- not only the low lifes, but also legitimate companies -- continue to send e-mails to users who have not given them permission unless there was profit in it? What do you think?

[whitedragon]

because out there there is a lot of people that doesn't knoe sh*t about computers, internet and they just know how to write an email and things like that plus they don't hang out too much time online and whenever they received an email telling them that they won a dream cruise they will fall in the trick and clink on the link until they find out that that everything is a lie or have some hook up thing.
an that happens because we are humans, and humans, we're scouts, we're quaint we want to know everything, we want to believe!!

[vanman]

Once again it comes down to computer literacy.If these so-called(people who know s....t about computers were more up to date they would know better.For people who's just starting to learn about the internet come upon something like that they would surely respond to it I think 99%.So I think it is not fair to say they are accountable for something they obviously don't know that much about.The spammers targets may well be those individuals,but I think if you know about someone who's been through that kind of ordeal we should try our best to point them in the right direction, rather than accusing them.

[owensleftfoot]

Just on the subject of spam, if you own your own domain name and you collect all the email for that domain there is a handy way for fighting spammers. Whenever you sign up for something online give an email address that will allow you to identify that something. For instance if you wanted to sign up for pcpros website give your email address as [email protected]. Then if you get spam to that address you know who gave away your email address . This obviously doesnt stop spam but it will help you complain to a webmaster.

[invader]

Originally posted here by owensleftfoot
This obviously doesnt stop spam but it will help you complain to a webmaster.

owen, most of the times, the webmaster has to be actively involved in leaking out your email address for spam. Well, they earn profit by leaking the email address.
A person signs up on so many websites that it cant actually also sue the webmaster because of the anonymity factor.
An effective and fool-proof way to stop spam is still far away.

[ShagDevil]

LOL. Just like old school junk mail, you have to sift through it and you'll be lucky to find something worth of value. I would say though, judging by the e-mails I recieve, there are not too many legit, honest companies e-mailing me on a daily basis. Unless of course you consider 15 e-mails a day pertaining to 'enlarging my penis by 3 to 4 inches' "legit".

[Showtime8000]

Yes indeed.

Spam is extremely cheap to send. The few who do reply, as you guys covered, are swindled, leaving the spammers with money that can amount to thousands of dollars.

Have you seen that commercial for Earthlink? "8.0 this!"

[Tedob1]

*********
-- not only the low lifes, but also legitimate companies --
*********

only low lifes spam. Legitimate companys have mailing lists you can subscribe to. If you get un-requested mail from them, it’s because someone put your name on their mailing list. You can unsubscribe.

Any company that relies on spamming has no ethics and is not to be trusted.

[r3b00+]

Well i dont know if Permissioned Media are a legitimate company, but they appear to be sending fake greeting cards to unsuspecting 'victims', thus resulting in the 'victim' and anyone in their M$ Outlook address book being spammed.

Full article

Bah to spam!

[ebo]

Tedob1 is correct, legimate companies have mailing lists, When you sign up for yahoo mail or something, they check the box that says, would you like us to give your email to our other comapnies? When you do not uncheck that box, and you click submit, that email address has been entered int a list. That is why spamming still works, because the comapnies are allowed to send you emails, people get confused with spams and legimate advertisements.