GREAT SPAMS OF THE INTERNETYep, it's that time again! Here's a worthwhile exchange (as far as these things go) from last week:
From: "Mr William Morrison"
Date: January 30, 2006 6:15:40 PM EST
To: Me
Subject: photo approval needed
Hello,
Your photograph has reached editing stage as part of an article we are publishing for our February edition of the Guardians business section. Can you check over the format and get back to us with your approval or any changes?
If the picture is not to your liking then please send a preferred one. We've attached the photo with the article here.
Kind regards,
William Morrison
Editor
www.Guardian.com
This communication contains information which is confidential and may also be privileged. It is for the exclusive use of the intended recipient(s). If you are not the intended recipient(s) please note that any form of distribution, copying or use of this communication or the information in it is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this communication in error please return it to the sende [sic]
Now this was an interesting enough approach — rather than appealing to one's
pent-up libido, or conversely their
religious sensibilities, or even their
fear of spam, this specimen appealed to one's vanity. It made me look twice!
And it put me in a generous enough mood to offer some pointers:
From: Me
Date: January 30, 2006 10:17:38 AM EST
To: "Mr William Morrison"
Subject: RE: photo approval needed
Clever.
Except a) instead of image files you've attached TXT files (gee, wonder why!).
And b) Guardian.com is some other company (what, don't want to piss off guardian.co.uk?)
Better luck next time!
And for my favor of fellow-feeling, what did I get? Well, I got this:
From: "System Administrator"
Date: January 30, 2006 10:17:42 AM EST
To: Me
Subject: Undeliverable:RE: photo approval needed
Your message
To: Mr William Morrison
Subject: RE: photo approval needed
Sent: Mon, 30 Jan 2006 10:17:38 -0500
did not reach the following recipient(s):
william.morrison@guardian.com on Mon, 30 Jan 2006 10:17:39 -0500
There was a SMTP communication problem with the recipient's email
server. Please contact your system administrator.
The nerve! Well, serves me right for trying to do some good. I guess I still have some things to learn about human nature.
Anyway, I had less than an hour to go before that day's deadline, and so I threw myself back into the work that is my livelihood. But then, just over an hour later, I received...
From: "Mr W Morrison"
Date: January 30, 2006 6:40:45 PM EST
To: Me
Subject: Photo
Hello,
Your photograph has reached editing stage as part of an article we are publishing for our February edition of the Guardians business section. Can you check over the format and get back to us with your approval or any changes?
If the picture is not to your liking then please send a preferred one. We've attached the photo with the article here.
Kind regards,
William Morrison
Editor
www.Guardian.com
This communication contains information which is confidential and may also be privileged. It is for the exclusive use of the intended recipient(s). If you are not the intended recipient(s) please note that any form of distribution, copying or use of this communication or the information in it is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this communication in error please return it to the sende [sic]
What was I to do now, just ignore the message and continue my work, now technically past my daily deadline?
No, no. I could still do some good here. I just knew it:
From: Me
Date: January 30, 2006 11:33:15 AM EST
To: "Mr W Morrison"
Subject: RE: Photo
Hello, you sent this to me once already this morning.
If you're going to spam effectively, shouldn't you at least keep better track of your mailing lists?
Just trying to help!
And for my spirit of self-sacrifice, what did I get? Well, I got this:
From: "System Administrator"
Date: January 30, 2006 11:33:17 AM EST
To: "Beutler, William"
Subject: Undeliverable:RE: Photo
Your message
To: Mr W Morrison
Subject: RE: Photo
Sent: Mon, 30 Jan 2006 11:33:15 -0500
did not reach the following recipient(s):
william.morrison@guardian.com on Mon, 30 Jan 2006 11:33:17 -0500
There was a SMTP communication problem with the recipient's email
server. Please contact your system administrator.
Well, that really did it. Once again, that should teach me not to just naively assume that a spammer has my best interests at heart. They may be real, live people with dreams and aspirations, loves and loathings, ambitions and fears, but it doesn't necessarily mean they'll take the time out of their day to send out annoying e-mail messages from accounts to which I can actually respond. More often than not, they're likely to be self-centered hackers discharging thousands of thoughtless spoofed messages from zombie machines. The big jerks.
Not that I won't still return their messages from time to time.
posted by WWB at 6:15 PM |
