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General discussion

WHY!?

Nov 26, 2003 12:25AM PST

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I just deleted 47 ads, out of a web mail account, that accumulated over night. Why do 'they' send these ads anyway. Surely they know that the recipient deletes or bounces them as fast as he can without reading them. And the address shows it's web mail, that alone should tell them that the ads won't have a ********'s chance of being read. What's more the recipient, at least this one, is so angry he/she wouldn't buy anything from those squirrels anyway!

Why do they bother?
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Discussion is locked

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Re:WHY!?
Nov 26, 2003 12:35AM PST

1st what is a ********'s chance of being read?

What is the deal with tricking the filters to get the email to you. If I'm filtiring viagra is tricking my filtir with v i a g r a going to make it more likely for me to buy the crap?

Oh look this ********* enlarger patch got in my email I think I'll buy one.

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Re:Re:WHY!?
Nov 26, 2003 12:54AM PST

Hey, if they can make the word "*********" longer, maybe they're onto something.....

Wink

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Exactly, Rick!
Nov 26, 2003 1:25AM PST

It's amazing how many ways there are of saying weight loss, viagra and ***** anything. I have seen a dozen such ads in a row and none had the same words in the heading. And that really burns me up.

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A patch, uh? (NT)
Nov 26, 2003 1:26AM PST

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A ********'s chance.
Nov 26, 2003 1:36AM PST

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I had heard that expression for years before I found out how it came to be. Seems in the 1840-50s the gold fields in California were overrun with Chinese people. At least according to the 'Americans'. They were considered by some to be unwanted and encouraged to leave. According to what I read, drunks took sport in taking a Chinese man out of town and telling him they were going to shoot him but they would give him a chance. He could start running and if he outran the bullet he could live.

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Re:WHY!?
Nov 26, 2003 12:35AM PST

Thank God I don't get that many but I was just thinking as I opened an e'mail with a name I was not familiar with how great e'mail really is. It turned out to be a lady who forty years ago was a playmate of my girls. She explained she ran into my eldest daughter at a teachers meeting and thought she looked familiar and had the same first name. She introduced herself and it went on from there. She asked her for my e'mail address. The reason made me laugh. She said she always remembered the brown bread I used to fix for them and always wanted the recipe. I sent it. It was plain old boston brown bread.

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How wonderful. It IS a small world isn't it?
Nov 26, 2003 1:08AM PST

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I ran into a lot of this when doing genealogy and even after dozens of incidents it still amazed me how these things happen! And getting to the point of being able to put two cousins in touch with each other after 40 or 50 years was a real kick. I could write a book. Oh, yeah, I did. LOL
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NT Bread, bread, did I hear someone mention THE STAFF OF LIFE !?!? :)
Nov 26, 2003 4:56AM PST
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Tim, my feelings exactly. I loveeee bread (NT)
Nov 26, 2003 5:09AM PST

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Mary Kay...
Nov 26, 2003 5:19AM PST

Mary Kay,

IF you are interested more on this and have contact with Rosalie, I trust that she would be willing to "make a contact". If not and you still wish to proceed, I can post an addy here.

Bread is so big for me, I think I'd rather spring Dr. Jack K. for "service" than give it up. Happy

Tim

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Re:WHY!?
Nov 26, 2003 12:49AM PST

It is so inexpensive to do the mass mailings that if they get even a tiny percentage of responses it works out to be very profitable.

Dan

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That makes sense, Dan, I will admit. However, seems to me they would
Nov 26, 2003 1:44AM PST

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give a person the option to opt out of future mailings. To me this mass mailing is an abuse. As a matter of fact I think it should be required that they offer (and honor!) an opt out option. Doesn't someone in power out there have a way to shut down or fine these business if they abuse the email system?
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Re:That makes sense, Dan
Nov 26, 2003 3:10AM PST

They are working on laws to curtail this type of activity, but I don't see how much enforcement is going to happen. Like most white coller crime, it's very low glamour and has high research expenses. It will continue because there is no downside to doing it. Individuals have little or no recourse and the companies are so nebulous that there is no fear of mass boycott or other group action. Not to mention the cross border complications.

Welcome to the new millenium.

*sigh*

Dan

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Err...Rosalie, you may have several email accounts...
Nov 26, 2003 12:57AM PST

and a "throw away", but noticed you gave a email address of yours out in the open here in SE just a few days ago. I try to limit who has my main usage email addy. Who but the 'Shadow' knows on how your address gets to advertisers. I have had the same one for a least 3 years and remove about 20 Spams per day that still get through the filter. While I was gone on vacation recently, had over 200 spams mixed in with good when I returned. I just live with it. Wink

JR

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Right on all counts, John. The email I posted is my oldest web mail account.
Nov 26, 2003 1:20AM PST

And yes, it gets most of the junk. It's the one I always use on the net whenever I'm required to do so. But not if it's important because this account can overfill in a couple of days if I don't tend to it. When contacting a person the way I did I usually then change to my POP3 mail. I have a couple other web addresses I use to do real web 'business' with, such as my registration to CNET. They also get a little spam but not much.

I'm really not surprised to see the junk coming in I'm just puzzled why the same ads keep showing up day after day after day. It seems so pointless and the more they do the less chance they have of getting 'through' to the person.

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because they work.
Nov 26, 2003 4:08AM PST

Unfortunately, there are enough folks who respond to these things, that it is a profitable activity.

By the way, don't ever unsubscribe. All you will do is verify that they have a valid email address.

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It's not safe to even read a lot of those messages ...
Nov 26, 2003 8:29AM PST

A lot of email messages have images with complex URLs and/or 'web bugs' and other techniques used to see if the mail was delivered and/or spy on you.

Some of the URLs are coded so that the mailer can tell which messages were opened. This validates the address and also gives information about what you actually looked at.

My email client (pocomail) includes an option to NOT download images from the Internet and that provides some protection against the images, but when something is obviously SPAM it is best to not even open the message.

It's also a good idea to set the email client to ignore requests for 'receipts' since some advertisers use that technique to validate email addresses.

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The one that chaffs my rear is........
Nov 26, 2003 10:17PM PST

another mirroring my email address. I am sending myself spam? ha! I am glad my ISP offers Web-mail and unwanted emails almost never reach my OE.

mojo

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Double the value. LOL
Nov 27, 2003 1:29AM PST

Since programs that bounce email have become so popular the spammers have found another little quirk to exploit. You bounce and it comes right back. If you have everything set to automatic you just keep send the same ad to yourself over and over. One send and their job is done. Isn't that the pits?!?

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Re:Double the value. LOL ..... LOL is right
Nov 27, 2003 1:55AM PST

I haven't changed my primary email address in years, and I should I guess. But, the notion of changing it is about as inspiring as digging out that old ragged personal phone & address book that's in the desk drawer and copying all the info over to a new book. Happy

I run my own business and it's a small business. Consequently, I wear many hats and I don't like spending my free time doing that kind of stuff. Happy

Happy Thanksgiving,

mojo

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Re:It's not safe to even read a lot of those messages ...
Nov 27, 2003 12:56AM PST

Think I have the receit thing set to ask before providing. I need to check. At work I ask for for a receit to emails I send because I need to CYA when send someone information regarding parts, problems, etc. The email is always a backup to phone conversation or voicemail.

I use the work email that way because it's backed up everyday, and I can prove I did notify someone of something if it ever becomes necessary.

But never never use an internal workemail address outside of work business. I can't imagine if a work address got into spammers lists. There is one or two people I've emailed from work, that not work business. Mostly when something came up and I was going to have to work a double shift and wasn't going to be home when expected.

roger