Spam in NGS

jeanne wrote:
[ 8< ]
> It *was* a revenge SPAM in the NGS.
[ 8< ]
> JRO *reposted* the revenge mail-bomb bait:
> *along* with the phone #s:
> *AND* the location of the hapless victim:
[ 8< ]

A similar thing happened to a friend of mine, somebody made a post to a
few newsgroups that looked as if it came from him and contained a few
less than nice sentences about a certain dead royal person...
Fortunately he knows who made that post...

-- 
:)
Veronica Karlsson
( e93...@sm.luth.se  http://www.ludd.luth.se/~vk/ )

On Thu, 11 Sep 1997 17:35:10 -0400, jeanne
<tlj...@sacam.OREN.ORTN.EDU> wrote:

>I have strongly suspected for a considerable time now that it is
>very possible that spamming is part of the tactical agenda of those
>who wish to exert control over the Net by introducing moderation of
>newsgroups, the mod.* hierarchy, and other similar control devices.

Well, something like that can also be possible...
The net is just too vulnerable to Denial of Service attacks of every
kind...

I think that most of the spam we see in "normal" newsgroups is just
there for advertising. Like UCE. The "normal" spam-levels aren't
really destructive.

Some groups seem to be targetted with excessive spam-levels (or even
binary bombs). And this spam is destructive and used as a means of
destruction.

>It is certain that the wall-to-wall spam on the alt.sex.* newsgroups
>is a deliberate tactic to destroy those newsgroups and there are
>some people who have a long-term agenda to remove all sex.*
>newsgroups from the Net.

The excessive spam-levels in the alt.sex.* is certainly used to
destroy these newsgroups.

But I think that some operators of porno-sites destroyed these
newsgroups to draw users to their sites, where they have to pay for
services that used to be available for free in the newsgroups.

>Similar things have happened to other newsgroups such as
>rec.games.mecha which was subjected to not only spamming but also
>binary bombing...these excesses have virtually ceased now that an
>RFC/CFV has been issued to change the status of rec.games.mecha to a
>moderated newsgroup.

Well, rec.games.mecha is strange...
I think someone didn't like that group and wanted to destroy it. And
the only thing you can do about that is to switch to moderated. I
don't think the group was attacked in order to make it moderated.

What would he/she gain if rec.games.mecha was moderated?

>It all looks like plans by a very few people to exert control of the
>Net so it pays for all Net users to be vigilant and not to be fooled
>by those who would curtail freedom.

Well, it always pays to be vigilant...

You know:
"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance!"

>Spamming is quite definitely used as a tool and a tactic and usually
>the originator(s) disguise their addresses and identities. They are
>" Net-wise ".

Of course.
Excessive spamming is like flooding and that's a Denial of Service
attack.

>It is essential that _unmoderated newsgroups_ are preserved and not
>forced into moderation under false premises.

Yes, I agree.
Unmoderated newsgroups are very important.

If all newsgroups are moderated it's even easier to destroy groups.
You'd only have to attack the moderator. Either by Denial of Service
attacks or by the law enforcement (in case of controversial groups).


But the big problem is, that some groups just can't exist without
moderation because they'll always be subject to abuse...

Usenet itself is also too vulnerable to abuse...
And although I fear Usenet 2 because it would end freedom completely,
I also think that it might be the only solution to the problem...

>Sure there are mailbombs from people with personal grudges against
>individuals but the vast majority of email spams are selling
>something via a very cheap medium.

That's true...

>" Let Net users beware of all those who would destroy freedom in
>  this medium ".

There certainly are many people outside who'd like to destroy freedom
in the Net and everywhere else...

Don't give up. Fight them!

--=20
Christian Sommerer   E-Mail: elr...@gmx.net
>Wie kann ich jemanden finden, der gerade =FCber Metronet online ist?
Immer dem Gefluche nach.
 - Thomas Broda in de.alt.provider.metronet

jeanne (tlj...@sacam.OREN.ORTN.EDU) wrote:

>Colin, in case you missed the particular SPAM in this NG I was
>refering to, I will refer you to JRO's *repost* of it....
>SPAM is SPAM. Whether as UCE *or* polluting the NGS. I will refer
>you to the reply I got from this particular spammers ISP also.
>It *was* a revenge SPAM in the NGS. 
>
>-jeanne
>Fight Spam! Join CAUCE (Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email)
>  http://www.cauce.org/ Tell your Congresscritters how Spam mailings
>hurt you. Help protect genuine Internet commerce: Outlaw UCE Spamming!


OK, thanks for all that.  Whilst CAUCE and other Anti-spam movements
and methods are, hopefully, doing their best the real answer lies with 
"Your Very Own" Systems Administrators at Your Very Own Net Access Site.

They are the people who can help you most and are able to minimise
both email _and_ newsgroup spam.

They are also the very people who can put a stop to it at source.

It is counter-productive to complain and criticize _other peoples_
System Admins and Access Sites...that only generates animosity.
Nobody, but Nobody, likes criticism and complaints levelled against
them and that is a big failing of current Ant-Spammming activity.

Every Net user should and must talk nicely to their Sysadmins.
When Net begin to do just that then real progress will be made.

I am almost totally convinced now that newsgroup spamming is
deliberate action by individals with Net expertise to change and
control newsgroups in some way...and little serious newsgroup spam
is the work of mere pranksters, juveniles and vandals.

Proof ?  I have yet to see any tracking down of the originator
of a newsgroup spammer or binary bomber...they are too clever
and expert in avoiding detection.



--------------------   Solving the Spam Problem  ------------------


             "Talk nicely to your Systems Administrators"


                  /mmm\        /mmm\        /mmm\
                  (O o)        (O O)        (o o)
                    U            U            u
                  ||\  \\        / \\         .
                 oOOo__oOOo   _____oOOo  ____________
                ############  #########  ############
                (FIRST TRY)    (RETRY)   (KEEP AT IT)
                        -After David Bourgin-

                                |
                                |
                                |
                               \|/
                                '


                Your  UFS  ( User Friendly Sysadmins )


           _________                          _________
          |\       /|                        |\       /|
          | \     / |                        | \     / |
          ||\\   //||                        ||\\   //||
          ||__\ /__||                        ||__\ /__||
  _______/|   _|_   |\______         _______/|   _|_   |\_______
 /       \|  / | \  |/       \      /       \|  / | \  |/       \
(         \\/  |  \//         )    (         \\/  |  \//         )
 |         \\  |  //         |      |         \\  |  //         |
 |          \_ | _/          |      |          \_ | _/          |
 |            \|/            |      |            \|/            |
 /                           \      /     _______________       \
 | ^^^^  _______________ ^^^^       | ^^^|\             /|  ^^^^
  \||||\|\             /|||||        \|||| \           / |  ||||
 \ .... | \           / | ... \    / ....|  -----------  |..... /
  \-----|  -----------  |------\  /------|  |         |  |-----/
        |  |         |  |                |  |    o o  |  |
        |  |    o o  |  |                |  -----------  |
        |  -----------  |                ----------------
        ----------------

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
                                         -After Mike Hertz-


------------------------------------------------------- cfbd -------


Bye,

On Mon, 15 Sep 1997 13:51:52 -0400, jeanne
<tlj...@sacam.OREN.ORTN.EDU> wrote:

>Err.... Christian, these are Colin's words - not mine. Please quote
>correctly :-)

Sorry!

Colin's article didn't arrive at my newsserver (all that spam is
slowing propagation...).
So I thought, you wrote this... :)

--=20
Christian Sommerer   E-Mail: elr...@gmx.net
>Wie kann ich jemanden finden, der gerade =FCber Metronet online ist?
Immer dem Gefluche nach.
 - Thomas Broda in de.alt.provider.metronet