Article

2008-07-02 -Short Attention Span Theater-

What happens when you answer all your spam e-mails

For Tracy Mooney, a married mother of three in Naperville, Ill., the decision to abandon cyber-sense and invite e-mail spam into her life for a month by participating in a McAfee experiment was a bit of a lark.

The idea of the Spammed Persistently All Month (S.P.A.M.) experiment which fittingly started on April Fool's Day was to have 50 volunteers from around the world answer every spam message and pop-up ad on their PC. What would be the experience in 10 countries when everyday people, armed with a PC and e-mail account McAfee provided for the Global S.P.A.M. Diaries project, clicked through the spam and chronicled the results?

Mooney who had observed the family's PC crippled just before Christmas by a virus was game, especially because McAfee was giving a free PC to all participants. She was selected to be among the 50 volunteers picked by McAfee out of 2,000 people who applied to be part of the adventure. By the time it was all over, after every bank-account phishing scam, Nigerian bank scheme, and offer for medication, adult content and just plain free stuff had been pursued. . . .

In her guise as Penelope Retch, Mooney answered the e-mail that came into her account. "I'd see an interactive spam, open it, click on it and asked to be removed. That would only make it worse," she says. "They'd say 'no.'"

Whether trying to win an iPod online, get free travel brochures, weight-loss tea or Maybelline eyeliner, the effect of entering a home address was extreme. Immediately, a deluge of mail landed at her doorstep, directed to the attention of Penelope Retch. "One of the mail offers I got was a $7,500 credit card for Penelope Retch," Mooney says, noting that the sudden upsurge in junk mail left the neighborhood postman somewhat aghast. "It grew exponentially, so I stopped giving out my home address," she says, adding, "I am concerned about the environment." . . .

You can read MacAfee's official report of the experiment, and the participants' blogs, here.

Posted by Mike 2008-07-02 08:14|| || Front Page|| [14 views ] Top

#1 I almost never get spam, yet, I'm trying, I'm really trying, I leave my email address everywhere behind me, I fill forms everywhere, I post on fetish forums, I suscribe to mailing lists of all stripes, I email randoms guys in nigeria... but, I never get any spam. I guess even spammers find me to lame to email me. That's so unfair.

Posted by anonymous5089 2008-07-02 10:05|| 2008-07-02 10:05|| Front Page Top

#2 I get a little, but on a regular basis. I guess they are looking for a better class of rube nowadays.

Posted by bigjim-ky 2008-07-02 11:29|| 2008-07-02 11:29|| Front Page Top

#3 I quit getting it when I sent Muck4Doo's responses to Nigerian scammers to them.

Posted by Deacon Blues">Deacon Blues 2008-07-02 11:59|| 2008-07-02 11:59|| Front Page Top

#4 Box Trapper is my friend.

Posted by Iblis 2008-07-02 12:25|| 2008-07-02 12:25|| Front Page Top

#5 I quit getting it when I sent Muck4Doo's responses to Nigerian scammers to them.

Ima shockr! >:)

Posted by RD">RD 2008-07-02 12:27|| 2008-07-02 12:27|| Front Page Top

#6 Deacon, perhaps you should post it here for others to use,

Posted by lotp 2008-07-02 13:14|| 2008-07-02 13:14|| Front Page Top

#7 Here's one.
Friends Are Great friendship@wepraisehim2.com wrote:
Good Day Friend, I send one last greeting to you. Truly in hope you will always remain well. Take Care. Sincerely, You Friend.
hi girlfren!
thanx for riten. :)
ima always like haverin nonymus frens. itn make for no supersecrets broken. ima not kno you an you in not kno me but we a big hapy family. :)
ima like makerin rhymes an inspire to be tomorow nex fity cent. *booh buh buh buh boomp buh pee choo* you like em blogs? ima makerd em blog an am need make sum post. we are like doerin animal nyoos and nyoos of em weerd. you like animals? you like weerd? my fren deacon is gotsa weerd animals an hes a deecon. him goose jus underwent sex change and layerd eggs! can you beleeve that? an im have em fren cb who is very nice but likesta pick her nose from what she is say. and half is goin get rich with him nyoo salty snack nyoos an investin advice an kory can tell ya all about jet settin aroun em nashen and giver good advice an freekwent flier miles. we also got drogon fly but not seen him in while. come visitor us at http://meatismurder.blogspot.com/
an joyen the fun. :)
you pal
muckford doo
And another
howdy naphti!
ima soryn heer about the plite you sufferer. the spain is gots no moral rites to do that to you. curse the spain! and curse mugabe and him stupid mustashe! im live in the texas and am thinkerin mebbe im can help out. spekin south africas you got any dimond mines? also ima likin them gold coins with em purdy deers on em. you got any those? im am kinda comcern about combining chemicals and farm equipments. you in shuld realy go to organic farmin. itn save moneys and is protec the ecosystem. jus grow things in em greenhouse and set the bees free! ima know the africanize bees can be in concern but you can buyer some good ole americans ones born in the usa and purchases online. ifn you want ima can seel em to ya. cheep to. and ima get you "organic" bees even beter than regular bee and helthier for you cous cous. then you can haver organic vegetals and honey for you tea. :) jus send me a chek and ima get you all the bees you can dreem of. also ima mite sendn you some speshal seeds for growin organic ganja. you can grower thisn purdy litle flowers and send me sum once in a wile. plese write back and let me know ifn we has a deels and then ima helper you that money. llokin forward doin bizniss with you.
allahu ackbar
muckford doo
I usually get replies that say they can't understand what I wrote.

Posted by Deacon Blues">Deacon Blues 2008-07-02 16:11|| 2008-07-02 16:11|| Front Page Top

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