Comments on: How MySpace brought down a spammer

Internet attorney Eric J. Sinrod explains how MySpace defeated a noted spammer.

[SeizeCTRL]

Screw That

Send in armed robots, ninjas, crazed out S.W.A.T. guys or some C4 strapping jihadists to the spammer's house. Surely there is a way to blackmail some mafia hitmen to do this also...

Start picking them off one by one and the internet will sit back and rejoice as spam traffic decreases.

[ajhoughton]

Hmmm

The best response I've ever seen to a spammer was what
happened to Alan Ralsky. After an article written in November
2002 by Mike Wendland of Detroit Free Press, someone found
his home address and posted it on Slashdot along with a hint
that people should sign him up for catalogs and mailings on as
many sites as possible.

It turns out that spamming works just as well via the U.S. Postal
Service as it does via e-mail. Only most people don't have mail
sorting equipment or indeed a mail room to store all the sacks
of mail they receive?

Ralsky got quite upset, threatening to sue people and saying
"They've signed me up for every advertising campaign and
mailing list there is ? These people are out of their minds.
They're harassing me."

Delicious irony, I say.

[rcardona2k]

Sounds too MySpace-specific

What's his next target: facebook, linkedin?

Spamford deserves special attention in prison.

[killshot71]

I agree

From this article, it sounds like this guy was caught defrauding 300,000 people through MySpace and the only punishment is a ban from MySpace? Isn't that what they do to a 12-year-old who swears too much on his MySpace page? Brought down a spammer? Hardly.

That's like knocking over a bank and robbing everyone inside and the only punishment the judge orders the criminal to start using a different branch.

Fortunately, the FTC hit Wallace in the pocketbook with a $4 million judgment earlier this year. But when are they going to put this guy in jail?

[Penguinisto]

Ah yes... Spamford Wallace.

This fool has been a PITA since the days of USENET.

I suspect the list of people that want to see him dead is pretty long by now.

/P

[Fireweaver]

"Victory" when the term is used loosely

This is only a victory in the smallest meaning of the word and it shows just how toothless Can Spam is.
Further MySpace didn't "Bring Down" the spammer at all. No, He's still "Up" and sending spam, he's just not allowed to use MySpace. Guess he'll be on to exploiting Facebook to illegally promote his million dollar spamming business next. And why wouldn't he? There's NO deterrent to keep him from doing so- obviously the law is a joke.

Perhaps MySpace should be suing the guy for fraud or copyright infringement instead. Seems that one of those options might yield a bigger penalty- since special interest groups (read: music and video industries) have made those laws "important" in the court's eyes.

[disco-legend-zeke]

Hanging is too good for spamford.

Somthing like staking him down in the desert and pouring grease and sugar on him.

Think of every spam you have ever received as a teeny tiny ant bite.

How's that for making the punishment fit the crime.