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 Category :: Spam |
Author :: June Campbell  |
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| Article Title :: Tired of Bogus Spam Complaints? United We Stand .... |
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If you are distributing material to an opt-in email list, you
need to know about a fledgling, grassroots organization called
e-Crucible. The organization is committed to "opposing by any
ethical, political, and legal means available the vigilante
activities of "anti-Spam" fanatics and the unfair and unjust
handling of 'Spam' complaints by certain Internet Service
Providers."
According to the Executive Director, John Botscharow,
e-Crucibles is in the process of acquiring non-profit status so
it can exist as a legal entity.
But first, a little background.
As an online publisher, you already know what I mean by bogus
spam reports. Either in error or with mischievous intent, a
subscriber decides your ezine is spam. Quicker than you can say,
"Hey, you subscribed!", s/he sends hostile, rude and often
abusive emails to every web site or email address listed in your
ezine. In some cases, the complainant includes a worm or virus
with the email for added impact. Or maybe s/he reports you to
SpamCop, CAUSE or a similar vigilante group.
The bad stuff hits the fan. You're deemed guilty and there is no
wayto prove your innocence. Without contacting you, SpamCop
emails your ISP, your web host, your advertisers and even the
writers whose articles you have published. At best, you spend
the next few days explaining and pleading your innocence to the
people involved. At worst, your website host and your ISP shut
you down. Your business is interrupted until you can make other
arrangements. If you live in an area of the world where you have
only one ISP available, this can mean the end of your Internet
business.
This story is but one example of many. Frank Garon is a
webmaster who publishes an opt-in ezine with a subscriber base
of 12,000 (http://www.InternetCashPlanet.com). His ezine
contains clear unsubscribe instructions. Sometime in April,
2001, a subscriber allegedly sent the entire ezine to SpamCop
with the instructions to "shut down this American *&%^ spammer."
Garon reported that SpamCop contacted every email address and
web host address contained in the ezine. One victim was a writer
whose article had been published in the 'zine. She had the usual
resource box at the end of her article, including a link to her
site. The writer's email account was shut down, and at last
report, her web site was in jeopardy. Remember that this writer
did not send a single email. Common sense dictates that she
could not possibly have been guilty of spam.
Garon and the writer sent an appeal to SpamCop. The response
from SpamCop's "deputy" included the following:"..."If the admin
of this ezine would like to pursue punitive action against the
SpamCop user for filing a false complaint, we will need to see
proof of opt-in confirmation. Otherwise, we will simply consider
this matter closed..."
Now here's the kicker. SpamCop did not reveal the name and email
address of the complainant. Without identification, how can
Garon prove that the subscriber had opted-in? Worse, without the
email address, how can Garon remove the subscriber from his
list? What's to stop the same subscriber from filing the same
complaint repeatedly? Again, it defies common sense.
As Garon wrote, 'To have to spend every day wondering if TODAY
is the day some creep is going to falsely accuse you of Spam and
cost you and your entire family everything you have put years of
hard work into is MORE than a little scary."
To make the story even more bizarre, e-Crucible members state
that they have reported real spammers to SpamCop with no results.
If you're an email publisher, the shark attacks come from three
sources: odious subscribers, vigilante organizations and ISPs
and web hosts who shut you down without giving you a chance to
defend yourself. As an individual, you can do little to change
the situation.
Please consider signing up for the free e-Crucibles mailing list
and help strengthen this little organization with the big goals.
Sign up at http://www.topica.com/lists/e-Crucible/ or send email
to mailto:e-Crucible-subscribe@topica.com
Please note: e-Crucible is NOT pro-spam. They are opposed to
spurious spam complaints that put legitimate marketers in
jeopardy.
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