SPAM
No, not the processed ham, the unsolicited commercial
mail that most internet subscribers receive on a consistent basis…
Users need to know what SPAM is in order for them to
be aware of what they need to look out for.
What exactly is SPAM?
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Can be defined as unwanted mail
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Internet junk mail
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E-Mail messages that the user receives that they do
not want.
Characteristics of SPAM
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These messages can be advertisements for pornography,
health care products, chain letters, and fast money gimmicks.
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The “spammers” can disguise their messages by sending
them as actual e-mail messages so they look familiar to the user.
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Some SPAM has the home address as a different one
then they are actually sending the message from.
It is important to understand why SPAM is such a
problem, not just an annoyance to the user.
What is wrong with SPAM?
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SPAM clutters the internet service provider’s
bandwidth. This leads to significantly
slower internet access for the user.
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SPAM invades the privacy of the internet user. An email address should be a private account
to an individual.
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Sending mass email is cheaper than sending one
message and this saves the spammers money.
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SPAM costs the users and the ISP’s money with each
message sent.
How so?
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The internet users end up paying in the long run from
spammers. The ISP’s may have to raise
their rates in order to compensate for the cost of more bandwidth that is taken
up by junk mail messages.
Users need to know what they can do if they are
interested in not receiving anymore unwanted messages.
What can be done to prevent SPAM?
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Use websites that give tips for helping with SPAM
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Filtering
Some problems with filtering…
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Spammers will eventually find a way around filtering
programs
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Filtering uses computer CPU time, further slowing
connection and access time for users
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There is lots of SPAM to filter through
It is important to see if there is government
legislation in place to protect internet service providers and their users. Different states have different laws in
effect when dealing with SPAM.
What is the government doing?
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In
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Third parties that have been mistakenly used for spamming
can sue for $500 per message.
Internet users can sue for $500 per
message
Internet service providers can sue for
$1000 per message
Note: it can be
difficult to determine where SPAM is generated from. The spammers know what they are doing and
may go to great lengths to protect their true identity. The user needs to know what their rights are
and what they are able to do because in many cases it can be illegal to go
after certain companies, no matter how justified one might feel in doing so.