Alfredo G�mez wrote: > Ok, How do a spammer get your email address? > Well, he goes to a PUBLIC source like THE INTERNET and GET IT.
I participate in at least one forum (mailing list that is gatewayed to a newsgroup) where I cannot use a fake email address due to the way the group is set up (requires registration to post messages). If I choose to participate I must expose my address. There is no way to remain private. This group provides medical information and support for people with a serious chronic illness. Should I be deprived of this opportunity simply because it is possible for spammers to "harvest" my address from this newsgroup? Especially when my illness makes it difficult for me to interact with others? This is a major source of information/interaction for me. My answer is a resounding, "No!" I am computer literate and know how to install spam filters. There are many people on that list who are too sick, too tired, or simply unable to do so. These people have a hard enough time just finding the group and figuring out how to participate. They shouldn't have to choose between no participation at all or being overloaded with spam. This is just one of many examples of the "chilling effect" that spam has on electronic communication. > I repeat: If you are an individual, it's the website > responsibility to make your email address private. Spammers get your email address from MANY places, not just web sites. As I mentioned above, my email address got on spam lists from being on a newsgroup. I do not have a web site and never have had one. I have no need or desire for one. It's like saying that since my phone number is in the phone book (that's public!) then anyone has a right to call me, any time, day or night, and I have to call back each and every person who calls me to ask them to stop calling. Ridiculous. > If you make it PUBLIC, you are subjected to the rules of being > PUBLIC, aren't you? You simply don't seem to understand. You are advocating a kind of "Wild West" mentality where it's every man for himself--either come out shooting or stay inside and hide. Here's another analogy: There are people in the world who might try to rob or "mug" me. Should I be afraid to walk down the street? Or should society put laws in place, and hire police, to reduce the chances that I will be mugged? We have laws that restrict telephone number use by telemarketers. We have laws restricting junk faxes. Why is it such a stretch to see that we need laws to restrict the use of email addresses? Marjorie in Oregon [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ spamcon-general mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.spamcon.org/mailman/listinfo/spamcon-general#subscribers Subscribe, unsubscribe, etc: Use the URL above or send "help" in body of message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Contact administrator: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
