Virginia threatens spammers with jail time

CNN.Com / AP ^ | Wednesday, April 30, 2003 Posted: 4:52 AM EDT (0852 GMT) | CNN / AP

[Bobby777]

RICHMOND, Virginia (AP) -- Internet mavens who clog computers with massive volumes of unsolicited e-mail pitches now risk landing in prison and losing their riches under a tough Virginia law signed Tuesday.

Although about half the states have anti-spam laws, no other allows authorities to seize the assets earned from spamming while imposing up to five years in prison, said Gov. Mark R. Warner.

[Bobby777]

Although I think that passing more and more laws is not necessarily a good thing, I hate the spammers so much that anything that inhibits them is OK by me ...

[Bobby777]

ping ... thought you might like this one ... 8)

[Bobby777]

BTW, having worked with (not only, but notoriously) NT 4.0 (and Windows 95 ... eek), I think your handle is hilarious ... I didn't have to work with NT 3.51 too much but I heard it was quite a bit worse ...

[FreedomPoster]

Let's hope they slam the jail doors soon on a few of these scum, and word gets around.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

My hotmail account gets so crammed with spam it's almost useless using that service anymore.

Then there's my ISP e-mail address which is used sparingly, I'm too afraid some low-life business will get it and sell the address as so many of them do. If they really want to stop spam, they might want to consider forcing businesses to disclose they sell e-mail names to marketers on their website.

[Arthur McGowan]

I use hotmail's spam filters and they work well. I do check the folder every day, because my Daily Dilbert goes there. Dilbert's address changes daily, so there's no way to put it on my "safe list." I also set up custom filters, so that all e-mail with certain bodyparts mentioned in the subject line goes into the trash.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

I've tried that, using the exclusive filter and letting into the inbox only safe addresses. The problem is I use the account so much that it makes it almost impossible to use Outlook Express with it, which I prefer because I have to keep going to the hotmail site directly to put new addresses on the safe list.

What I've done lately is to start blocking addresses altogether, as many as 10 to 20 a day and it's beginning to work. I've noticed a considerable drop in new spam mails lately.

[Bobby777]

I still say pass a law where the advertisers can be billed for each spam ... $5 ... then sue 'em out of business for using spam ... that will take away the business incentive ... legitimate business or not ...

[Reaganwuzthebest]

I still say pass a law where the advertisers can be billed for each spam ... $5 ...

Sounds good to me, if that ever happened spam would probably end overnight, at least those originating from the US where a good portion of this garbage is coming from.

[PatrioticAmerican]

Junk mail is paid for by the sender.

Spam is paid for by the recipient.

You pay for your bandwidth, but you don't pay for your mailbox.

[Bobby777]

I hate junk mail too ... creates trash ... I've only bought one product that ever came by junk mail ... a free sample of shampoo and I ran out not long after I got it ... other than that, I hate 95% of the stuff in the mail ...

wonder if they can stop sending bills too? ... LOL