This exchange occured just a day or two after I recorded my interview with the diet pills spamster.
In this case, the fellow did not send any spam. He was apparently trying to find addresses for spamming purposes, and sent his initial message to a technical discussion list that I subscribe to.
By the way, I hope you will recognize that this does not divulge my political beliefs, i.e., I have not indicated my feelings about whether welfare et. al is bad or good. I have merely pointed the wannabe in that direction as a preferred alternative to using the Internet as a charity organization. Now, if you'd like to turn this into an excuse to convert me to your religion or politics, or would like to take me to task for being an evil person, feel free to do so. Email me at dave@armchair.mb.ca.
I've indicated the would-be spammer's text in italics, and I have anonymized his address and the address of the technical discussion list.
Date: Sun, 25 Jan 1998 12:36:40 -0800 From: wannabe <spammer@domain.com> To: technical-l@uofsomething.edu Subject: List I'am looking for a list of email adressess to send out a plea. I am flat broke and can't pay for them right now. Where can I get these.
Date: Sun, 25 Jan 1998 15:46:26 -0600 To: wannabe <spammer@domain.com>,technical-l@uofsomething.edu From: Dave Voorhis <dave@armchair.mb.ca> Subject: Re: List At 12:36 PM 1/25/98 -0800, wannabe wrote: >I'am looking for a list of email adressess to send out a plea. I am >flat broke and can't pay for them right now. Where can I get these. You can find what you're looking for at http://www.armchair.mb.ca/~dave/spammer
Date: Sun, 25 Jan 1998 13:23:53 -0800 From: wannabe <spammer@domain.com> To: dave@armchair.mb.ca Subject: list So what dose all of these things you are talking about have to do with what I was telling you. I'm looking for email addresses to send a plea to try to get some money to FEED MY FAIMLY next week.
To: wannabe <spammer@domain.com> From: Dave Voorhis <dave@armchair.mb.ca> Subject: Re: list At 01:23 PM 1/25/98 -0800, you wrote: >So what dose all of these things you are talking about have to do with >what I was telling you. I'm looking for email addresses to send a plea >to try to get some money to FEED MY FAIMLY next week. I don't care whether you give me a product or not for soliciting money. Spam is spam. That is NOT the purpose of the Internet. If you cannot feed your family, you have my sympathies for your plight, but not for your methods. I suggest you seek more conventional methods of obtaining social assistance. Furthermore, if you cannot feed your family, how is it you can afford a computer and Internet access?
Date: Sun, 25 Jan 1998 14:15:36 -0800 From: wannabe <spammer@domain.com> To: dave@armchair.mb.ca Subject: refeed Well if you must now thing were going real good till I had to help out my one daughter in a court case and another one got married. Then in the mist of this I got layed off from work and then unemployment cut me off. I wasn't ready for all of this and I'am not going tell you the rest. Just because I think you are like most other people and don't realy care about this any way. A father trys to help out his family in many ways as long as he loves them like I do. Which the way you talk don't know any of these fealings. And thats all I have to say to you because you don't have anything to help me and my family anyway.
To: wannabe <spammer@domain.com> From: Dave Voorhis <dave@armchair.mb.ca> Subject: Re: refeed I don't see how giving a beggar handouts does anything but keep him begging. Now, I know you haven't explicitly said you're going to ask for money, but that's certainly what it sounds like. If you were to ask me about education or job training or community resources, I would be more than happy to point you to appropriate URLs on the 'net. That is what I have to offer you, and that is what the Internet is all about. It is NOT, however, about spamming private email addresses with pleas. If you cannot feed your family, you should approach your church, your local community services, and social assistance. If you're too proud to obtain it, then I can't imagine why you'd ask strangers on the Internet for help. The Internet is NOT a charity organization. As I said before, you do have my sympathies, but your methods are ridiculous at best, and suspect at worst. AND, they're not going to do anything except get you in trouble. That's why I sent you the http://www.armchair.mb.ca/~dave/spammer URL. It should be proof that spamming DOES NOT work.
Date: Sun, 25 Jan 1998 18:53:38 -0800 From: wannabe <spammer@domain.com> To: dave@armchair.mb.ca Subject: ok Thank you and have a good day from a Journeyman Electrician. I'll make it.
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