Re: [cobalt-users] Spam by Communitech?!

[Jan Tietze <jptietze@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Well, in fact NSI's whois database is not free, and it is not permitted to use that
database for purpose of sending out spam, and CommuniTech is not only advertising
by email, but also threatening the business of their own customers. This is more
than a simple SPAM case, and no one would have bothered if it was. This is
personalized spam using data obtained from a publicly accessible database in
unpermitted manner, and as such is an issue of sending spam and using people's
contact details without consent. This is therefore a violation of privacy also, and
sheer numbers make it worse.

This is one ISP/hosting company threatening the business of others, by using widely
unaccepted practices, violating the privacy of others, and not abiding the NSI
whois fair use guidelines.

Jan

pdg wrote:

> <bad english, sorry I'm french>
>
> I agree with you.  Is just a email!
> Each week i receive the same ads from a real estate agent in my postal
> mailbox, i don't call the police, the tv and every body to say this guy
> spam my mailbox.  If you don't like what you get just trow it to the
> garbage.   We live in free country, based on the right to do money! so lets
> people ads them self and try to make more money.  If you spam a big crime
> maybe your too stupid to understand that money rules the world, and
> spamming it's just a way to get more customer.  If you don't understand
> that leave the business or return to business school.
>
> At 17:00 00-06-17 -0400, you wrote:
> >I think you "guys" ought to spend more time running your businesses and less
> >time trying to "rid the streets of scum". The "free" nature of the internet is
> >providing you with an opportunity to earn a living; dealing with the negative
> >by-products of a free network is part of the deal. Get yourself a bandwidth
> >manager and move on. Limiting your "client"s smtp traffic to 1kbps will
> >sufficiently slow them so they wont bother.
> >
> >At 03:22 PM 6/17/00 -0700, you wrote:
> > >
> > > A few weeks ago Comminitech signed up with my company for a dedicated ISDN
> > > connection. They used this connection for about 24 hours to SPAM. Once I
> > > recieved complaints about this I terminated there account. They argued with
> > > me that it was not SPAM etc. They also offered to pay my company $5k to let
> > > them continue. I of coarse refused that would cost my company much more
> > than
> > > that. That just goes to show you the type of company they are.
> > >
> > > Brian Hitchcock
> > > KC Web
> > >>
> > >> ----- Original Message -----
> > >> From: <mailto:chip@xxxxxxxxxx>Chip
> > >> To: <mailto:cobalt-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>cobalt-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > >> Sent: Friday, June 16, 2000 10:34 PM
> > >> Subject: [cobalt-users] Spam by Communitech?!
> > >>
> > >> Given the recent discussion of the varying TOS relating to sale of
> > >> spamware,  I think the following info, while not completely on topic, is
> > >> relevent.
> > >>
> > >> I (and about a half-dozen of my customers) have received spam from the
> > >> Communitech sales department in the last week, inviting me to switch my
> > >> website to their servers.  I have never had *any* communication with them
> > >> prior to this, and from the remove instructions on their email, it's
> > pretty
> > >> clear that they stole Network Solutions handle database. So, in my
> > book, by
> > >> their upstream's definition, and by their own TOS, it's clearly spam, and
> > >> clearly a TOS violation.  It's also, in my book, tacky to be trying to
> >steal
> > >> my customers by stealing NSI's lists to get their addresses.
> > >>
> > >> I've already sent abuse complaints to all of their upstreams... but it is
> > >> unlikely that these providers will cancel a lucrative T3 agreement
> > over one
> > >> small incident -- which, in my book, is unfortunate.
> > >>
> > >> However, there's a better idea I had, based on a suggestion on one of the
> > >> anti-spam sites I saw.  I have encouraged Communitech to make a $500
> > >> contribution to their local food bank, and to also make a contribution
> >equal
> > >> to 25% of the first year's revenues from any business obtained from their
> > >> spamfest.  It will be interesting to see what kind of response I
> > get..  But
> > >> if anyone else has received a similar mail from them, maybe pressure
> > from a
> > >> few folks will encourage them to turn a despicable act into something
> > >> positive.
> > >>
> > >> Here's an abbreviated version of the spam I received (and I got several
> > >> copies, with the names of several different salespeople, so it wasn't one
> > >> isolated bad apple.)  If anyone wants the whole thing, email me
> > offlist and
> > >> I'll forward it.
> > >>
> > >> Am I reading too much into this, or is this one of the bigger examples of
> > >> corporate stupidity that's been observed recently?
> > >>
> > >> Comments appreciated.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> ------------------------------------------
> > >>
> > >> Dear Chip White,
> > >>
> > >> My name is Brently Gasper and I am a sales representative at
> > >> CommuniTech.Net.
> > >> I am contacting about your exciting website at
> > >> <http://www.awhw.com/>www.awhw.<http://www.awhw.com/>com.
> > >> I wanted to introduce our organization, CommuniTech.Net
> > >> (<http://www.communitech.net/>http://www.communitech.net).
> >CommuniTech.Net is
> > >> a top rated webhosting company,
> > >> servicing over 25,000 websites worldwide, and I have been authorized to
> >make
> > >> a
> > >> special, one-time offer to you. First, let me give you some information
> > >> about our webhosting plans:
> > >>
> > >> ( Selling job snipped)
> > >>
> > >> My special offer to you is that I can provide you with an extra month of
> > >> service on a
> > >> 3 month plan, and 3 extra months of service on a 6 month term! Just
> > use the
> > >> promotion
> > >> code "FREEMONTHS" when placing an order online at
> > >> <http://www.communitech.net/order/>http://www.communitech.net/order/
> > >> Finally, we are having a contest throughout the month of June. If you
> > >> purchase a
> > >> new webhosting account in June, you will be entered into a drawing for a
> > >> brand new 2000
> > >> Chrysler PT Cruiser! More information on this contest can be found on our
> > >> website at
> > >> <http://www.communitech.net/contest/>http://www.communitech.net/contest/.
> > >>
> > >> (More promotional crap snipped)
> > >>
> > >>  I apologize if this e-mail has offended you. If you wish to not
> > >> receive any more emails from me, visit
> > >>
> > >> <http://offers.communitech.net/remove.php3?handle=CW3162>http://offers.co
> > >> mmunitech.net/remove.php3?handle=CW3162
> > >> and I will not e-mail you again. Otherwise, I hope to hear from you soon!
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> Sincerely,
> > >>
> > >> Brently Gasper
> > >> Sales Representative
> > >> b_gasper@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > >> <http://www.communitech.net/>http://www.communitech.net/
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> PS. CommuniTech.Net also provides dedicated servers on the Cobalt RaQ,
> > Sun,
> > >> and Intel
> > >> platforms on UNIX and Windows platforms for as low as $208.53/month. I
> >would
> > >> be happy to
> > >> assist you in moving to a dedicated hosting platform and/or answer any
> > >> questions you might
> > >> have about dedicated servers!
> > >>
> > >> _______________________________________________ cobalt-users mailing list
> > >> cobalt-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To Subscribe or Unsubscribe, please go to:
> > >> http://list.cobalt.com/mailman/listinfo/cobalt-users
> > >
> >
> >
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