The problem isn't spam.
We have a problem.
By 'we', I mean everyone who has an email address.
By 'problem', I mean "really annoying situation which may or may not have a solution."
The problem? Isn't spam.
Well, ok, it is. But half of the problem, the half that may be possible to solve, perhaps with the application of blunt objects, is:
People who respond to spam.
Think about it. If no one bought the latest 'miracle' drug, if no one had a sudden case of the stupids and decided to follow that hot stock tip that was 'accidentally' sent to them, what reason would the spammers have to spam?
So, what can we do about it?
Maybe the spam blockers need an overhaul.
Turn them into spam harvesters, instead. Scan incoming emails for email addresses, urls, and phone numbers. When any that aren't already white-listed are found some critical number of times, forward the data to a spam-busting group for investigation.
Then block traffic going to the emails and urls black-listed by the spam-busters.
I don't know what can be done about the phone numbers, though. Anyone got an idea there?
So, could it work?
By 'we', I mean everyone who has an email address.
By 'problem', I mean "really annoying situation which may or may not have a solution."
The problem? Isn't spam.
Well, ok, it is. But half of the problem, the half that may be possible to solve, perhaps with the application of blunt objects, is:
People who respond to spam.
Think about it. If no one bought the latest 'miracle' drug, if no one had a sudden case of the stupids and decided to follow that hot stock tip that was 'accidentally' sent to them, what reason would the spammers have to spam?
So, what can we do about it?
Maybe the spam blockers need an overhaul.
Turn them into spam harvesters, instead. Scan incoming emails for email addresses, urls, and phone numbers. When any that aren't already white-listed are found some critical number of times, forward the data to a spam-busting group for investigation.
Then block traffic going to the emails and urls black-listed by the spam-busters.
I don't know what can be done about the phone numbers, though. Anyone got an idea there?
So, could it work?