Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Stopping spam through education

Fair but firm guidance for the spam-gullible
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There is only one way to stop spamming in the long term, and that is for there to be no interested customers.

Most of us, certainly any of us smart enough to be here, know that most spam is worthless false advertising. It is the small minority of the "common sense challenged" that keep them in business. These people are the enemy just as much as the spammers, but at least there is hope for them.

My proposal is to send out carefully-thought out decoy spam messages through the usual channels. Something with a discrete header like "Makeee your mojo shag yo' honey all night fbfdbWJKFBwkcd".

Anyone who replies is sent a warning about how spam is worthless and that they exhibited poor judjement in responding. Anyone who again responded to a subsequent maiing would be ridiculed on a "wall of shame".

richardsfault, Oct 05 2003

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       You're assuming that the people who respond to these spam messages (are there actually any?) can read. But fishbone for sending more spam.
DrCurry, Oct 05 2003
  

       This could work...
futurebird, Oct 05 2003
  

       I know an old gentleman who proudly announced to me last Sunday that he had gotten a message from a lady in Chad, or some such place, seeking his bank account information to split a large sum of money.   

       The old gentleman informed me that he had written back "I was quite interested in your offer. My lawyer and I will both be investigating the matter further."   

       No doubt he'll get his account hacked again, just like the time he told the dietary suppliment people to take the pills themselves.
ye_river_xiv, May 30 2009
  
      
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