Gary wrote:
> Spammers are able to send the fake messages by planting viruses that
> post spoof login pages, asking users to re-enter their username and
> password. The spam program then logs into the account and send the
> unwanted ad messages to a person's friend list, which in some cases
> can number in the tens of thousands.
This practice is clearly illegal under long existing fraud laws:
FRAUD: "The making of a false statement of a past or existing fact
with knowledge of its falsity or whith reckless indifference as to its
truth with the intent to cause another to rely thereon, and he does
rely thereon to his injury." --law textbook.
The question then becomes are the people who create this false web
pages being prosecuted for doing so? If not, why not?
> MySpace ... go after the worst offenders.
Why aren't they going after _all_ the offenders?
[public replies, please]
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Well, Lisa, that would mean getting
the quasi-regulators like ICANN involved, and force them (ICANN or
their representative registrars) to investigate and clamp down on
the type of people/organizations they permit to have web sites (or
at least who those sites are permitted to talk to or exchange
traffic with. Sort of like the old Fido rule about being 'excessively
annoying' and getting yourself cut out of circulation, in other words,
being exciled or socially quarentined.
And as any good, intelligent and liberal do-good Usenetter would
happily explain to you, (1) 'we cannot dictate to others what they are
permitted to do with their websites or computers', and (2)[the same
Usenetters speaking as they wring their hands] 'they might decide to
sue because the rest of us did not allow them to run amok with their
computers and web sites'. Only, the same Usenetters do not phrase it
quite like that; they prefer to couch it in terms of freedom of speech
and all that rot. It is quite amazing to me how '.edu' is relatively
clean -- because the registrar insists on it -- but '.com' and the
others are like the wild west because the registrars are either unable
or unwilling to make the same requirements. And they might decide to
sue us? As the late Jack Benny used to say, 'really, Mary ...' or as
Dan Florek on 'CSI Special Victims Unit' phrased it so eloquently on TV
tonight, "My Ass!"
Lisa, the first thing we need to do is uproot the ICANN gang; they are
as worthless as anyone can be. Then install new people in ICANN who
take a harsher attitude. Do not expect anything until ICANN is
totally cleaned out. Esther Dyson and Vint Cerf are the worst. They
have to be the first to be gone. Not a very good prospect, is it?
PAT]
hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com