[IP] more on SPAM, ABUSE, BLOCK: Steve Ballmer spams domain registration database

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Dana Blankenhorn <dana@a-clue.com>
Date: October 30, 2004 10:20:35 AM EDT
To: dave@farber.net
Subject: Re: [IP] SPAM, ABUSE, BLOCK: Steve Ballmer spams domain 
registration database

The message sent allegedly from Ballmer is a real message that was sent 
by
Ballmer to Microsoft customers. Microsoft has also practiced "opt-out" 
and
"semi opt-in" for many years, check boxes that must be checked for you 
to
opt out, that kind of thing.

I'm sure Microsoft thinks that this wasn't spam, and I'm pretty sure
Microsoft sent this message (which was highly publicized). But it 
points out
the fact that the U.S. has legalized spam-that-is-not-spam, semi opt-in
e-mail sent from legitimate vendors for their business purposes.

Bottom line: Microsoft would say this is not spam.
I say this is spam. And the definition of spam should be in the eye of 
the
recipient, not the sender.

Dana Blankenhorn   danablankenhorn@mindspring.com
The Blankenhorn Effect  http://www.trafford.com/robots/02-1082.html
Moores Lore Blog   http://www.corante.com/mooreslore
A-Clue.Com Newsletter  http://www.a-clue.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "David Farber" <dave@farber.net>
To: "Ip" <ip@v2.listbox.com>
Sent: Saturday, October 30, 2004 7:57 AM
Subject: [IP] SPAM, ABUSE, BLOCK: Steve Ballmer spams domain 
registration
database


> Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: Daniel Golding <dgolding@gmu.edu>
> Date: October 30, 2004 12:50:44 AM EDT
> To: dave@farber.net
> Subject: Re: [IP] SPAM, ABUSE, BLOCK: Steve Ballmer spams domain
> registration database
>
>
> For IP...
>
> This email contains several fallacies concerning Microsoft and Spam.
>
> First, an email's envelope and message headers have nothing to do with
> its
> actual origination - at least, not yet. These are both easily forged.
>
> In fact, Microsoft is at the forefront of Sender Email Authentication
> efforts, which may, with some work, result in a drastic reduction in
> overall
> spam volume. Others working on this effort include the SPF development
> team
> and AOL. Microsoft has an entire team of developers and mail protocol
> folks
> working on spam reduction methods - a considerable investment,
> considering
> they are freely licensing the technology.
>
> Also, it is dangerous to assume that an email such as this is spam.
> There
> are several other possibilities - the recipient may have been
> subscribed by
> an unauthorized party or this may be a "joe-job" to discredit Microsoft
> (and
> perhaps, get some of their outgoing mail servers placed on blacklists)
>
> Additionally, Microsoft occasionally outsources mailings to third
> parties.
> While Microsoft would still be responsible for their agent's actions, 
> if
> this is indeed spam, Microsoft may not actually know about it.
>
> Finally, while it is possible that some Microsoft employee is spamming,
> I
> find it unlikely - this is most likely a termination offense within
> Microsoft, as it is within other large email and Internet service
> provider
> organizations.
>
> While I generally subscribe to Ocaam's razor, it is important to note
> that
> in the world of unsolicited email, things are never quite as they seem.
>
> I'm not a Microsoft cheerleader, for the record - I'm writing this on a
> Mac.
> However, Microsoft's recent efforts against spam deserve praise rather
> than
> approbation.
>
> - Daniel GOlding
>
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