Penis Enlargement Web Ads Prompt Calif. Spam Rage

[OneBlueSky]

Herr Ashcroft strikes again . . . does 5 years and $250,000 seen an apt punishment for verbally striking out at spammers? . . . what's going on here? . . .


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=582&e=1&u=/nm/20031121/wr_nm/crime_spam_dc

"SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Call it spam rage: A Silicon Valley computer programmer has been arrested for threatening to torture and kill employees of the company he blames for bombarding his computer with Web ads promising to enlarge his penis.

"In one of the first prosecutions of its kind in the state that made "road rage" famous, Charles Booker, 44, was arrested on Thursday and released on $75,000 bond for making repeated threats to staff of an unnamed Canadian company between May and July, the U.S. Attorney's office for Northern California said on Friday.

"Booker threatened to send a "package full of Anthrax spores" to the company, to "disable" an employee with a bullet and torture him with a power drill and ice pick; and to hunt down and castrate the employees unless they removed him from their e-mail list, prosecutors said."

(snip)

"Booker, of Sunnyvale, California, now faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for next month. He said he did not own any guns or have access to anthrax."

- more . . .

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=582&e=1&u=/nm/20031121/wr_nm/crime_spam_dc

[Systematic Chaos]

1. Well, it wouldn't...

but for the methods used to intimidate the employees of the company.

Try calling people at random from your home phone line without using any services to block your number, and telling them stuff like this guy did in his e-mails. Go on, go ahead! Now, check back here in about a month and tell us all how much fun you're having!

If the man were just spamming this company with a bunch of senseless profanity and crazy rhetoric that DIDN'T contain explicit threats of extreme violence, THEN I would say that the law was going too far. I dunno... am I guilty of situational ethics here or are death threats still death threats regardless of the medium?

[drfemoe]

8. geeze

talk about penis envy. This nut must have a real problem with the size of his equipment?

[Cloud]

2. LOL I know how he feels

I used to get e-mails all the time. When I would go to the bottom of the e-mail their was a link you could click to get off the mailing list. I clicked it and still recieved e-mails. This went on for several months before I changed e-mail addresses.

[Systematic Chaos]

3. Actually, those links are a trick.

All they're there for is to confirm that the e-mail address in question is still valid and being used regularly. All you end up getting is pushed higher up the queue for still MORE spam.

Not like the pricks actually practice honesty while they're spamming you! :D

[SahaleArm]

4. Oldest trick in the spam manual.

Unsubscribe links = Thanks for the confirmation :puke:

[sandnsea]

10. I think they sell your addy to 100 companies...

and maybe, maybe, maybe take your name off their list. It really sucks when you're in business online and can't change your email address. I get about 1,000 a day, at least. Or would without my spam program. Grrr.

[dfong63]

5. justifiable homicide. case closed.

[REP]

6. Terroristic Threats Should Be Always Treated as Such

If this guy were sending the same threats to a women's clinic or gay rights group, nobody would be asking if it was bothering over. Just because he was making terroristic threats to a spamco doesn't make it any less offensive...

...though I can't believe they think that my penis and my breasts are too small.

[Snazzy]

7. Not a valid comparison

I don't recall hearing about any reproductive rights or sexual freedom groups spamming anybody (and, of course, wouldn't help the cause if they did).

Spammers are low life, abusing this great resource and at our expense--in several ways, beyond just time and money. I often wonder how many kids get some of the very adult spam I get (for no good reason I might add--just register a website, put your email anywhere and you get loads of offensive crap).

No, it's telling that Asscroft will come down in favor of the spammers. Probably email anybody anything about anthrax and you get a visit these days. 'Cept of course if you're the guy who actually physically mailed anthrax to democrats and the media....

Should you make (empty) threats in email to get spammers off your back? Probably not, you are coming down to their level. But maybe that's the only level where you can get some common ground--some tet-a-tet.

I have (Mr. Pacifist here) threatened spammers. Occasionally works too. I wonder if I'm on a new list?

(edit typo. Now we need a email term for "going postal")

[drfemoe]

9. e-postal? n/t

[REP]

11. No, They're Not Spamming

but women's clinics and gay rights groups are doing things that nutcases object to even more strenuously than you do to spam.

I'm not saying spamcos are good and wonderful; I'm saying that sending terroristic threats to ANYONE is lower than spamming.

[Snazzy]

12. of course you're right

The sensible thing to have done is simply forward all the penis enlargement spam to Asscroft.

[SoCalDem]

13. It's just that GOPenis Rage

These people are OBSESSED with sex.. I am surprised that they don't just order that everyone be "altered".. Just cut them all off..

Any "outie" appendages will heretofore be deemed IMMORAL and ILLEGAL

Reproduction could be handled clinically then, and the midical field would rake in the dough..

:) Maybe I should not give them any ideas, eh??:)