Re: Off topic--spam, why does it work?

[Wendell Cochran atrypa@xxxxxxxx]

Date: Tue, 02 Sep 2003 21:12:09 -0700
From: "J. R. Fox" 

Harry Binswanger wrote:
>> . . . why is it at all difficult to track down spammers? After all,
they are advertising things that they very clearly tell you how to
buy. . . .
J.R. Fox replied:
> They usually go to great lengths to conceal their true identities
and true locations . . .

Also: linking a spammesg to a source of supply isn't easy. Consider
the many spammistic appeals to acquire a Visa card regardless of your
credit rating, & think of the investigation required for prosecution
& the legal gymnastics available to the defense.

That's assuming the offense illegal. All too often spam is held to
be `free speech' even though it's no such thing but in fact trespass,
invasion of privacy, & theft of services.

Even if a prosecutor agrees that a case is illegal he's likely to say
`Show me damages' -- & if given a dollar value may well respond with
`Sorry -- my office can't waste the time on anything less than a
quarter million.'

Just to forestall misunderstanding: no one here can be more frustrated
than I, or more indignant.

Wendell Cochran
West Seattle