*BSD News Article 66610


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From: jragosta@dca.net (Joe Ragosta)
Newsgroups: alt.binaries.warez.ibm-pc,alt.binaries.warez.mac,comp.os.linux.advocacy,comp.os.ms-windows.advocacy,comp.os.ms-windows.nt.advocacy,comp.os.msdos.misc,comp.os.os2.advocacy,comp.sys.acorn.advocacy,comp.sys.mac.advocacy,comp.sys.next.advocacy,comp.sys.powerpc.advocacy,comp.unix.advocacy,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc,comp.unix.machten,comp.unix.pc-clone.16bit,comp.unix.pc-clone.32bit,comp.unix.shell,comp.unix.solaris,comp.unix.user-friendly
Subject: Help-spammers are killing me
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 1996 09:32:38 -0500
Organization: Graver Chemical
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Distribution: inet
Message-ID: <jragosta-2304960932380001@ppp-1000.dca.net>
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ne.16bit:708 comp.unix.pc-clone.32bit:9266 comp.unix.shell:31892 comp.unix.solaris:66674 comp.unix.user-friendly:3639

As most of you know, I am a rather (ahem) prolific poster to several
groups (mainly advocacy groups). That has gotten me into a bit of trouble.

There are a few people who insist on spamming across the warez, sex, and
other groups for some reason known only to them. While I generally try to
trim the headers when I respond to groups, I'm obviously going to miss
some. That has led to frequent messages from people in the warez group
flaming me for crossposting. Lately, they've started a campaign with my
ISP to try to have me removed.

I certainly appreciate their desire to eliminate the thousands of
irrelevant messages. I concur and make every effort to trim the headers. I
don't, however, appreciate being made the scapegoat for the _real_
spammers.

I'll announce publicly that I trim the headers on at least 70-80% of the
messages I respond to. Admittedly, in the heat of "battle", I sometimes
forget to trim the headers, but I really think the person who started the
spamming is the one to go after. When I start a new thread, I don't recall
ever sending it to more than 3 groups, and usually only one
(comp.sys.mac.advocacy).

For the first and only time, I'm widely crossposting a message
intentionally to the groups that people have accused me of spamming to
request your assistance to help stop the spamming. I will continue to try
to trim irrelevant headers. For those of you who are offended enough about
crossposting to write to ISPs, I'd encourage you to take one step
first--trace the thread backwards to see who is adding all the groups. I
guarantee you'll find that it's not me. When you find out who is doing it,
mail bomb them or whatever. Just please don't go after people who are
innocent victims.

-- 
Regards,       Joe Ragosta

Copyright Joseph M. Ragosta, 1996. Non-exclusive, royalty free
license to distribute this post granted to any service provider 
except Microsoft. By posting this, Microsoft agrees to pay $1,000 per 
posting.