Fighting a spam fire with a DDoS

[Jeremy Turner]

[ on the far reaches of OT-land ]

On Wed, Dec 01, 2004 at 03:38:27PM -0800, Isaac C. wrote:
> There is a finite amount of bandwidth out there, so
> why do we want to use up even more of it?
 
I think the goal is to use up the finite bandwidth of those who are
abusing our email clients and our time.  Our time is definately finite.
Atleast mine is. =)

> It's funny when people use terms like "business model"
> in relation to spammers because it paints a picture of
> spammers as clean, intelligent, well-organized
> business professionals which I think is rather
> inaccurate.  Rather, I see spammers as a very untidy
> bunch of no-account hoodlums of various shapes, sizes,
> and dispositions.  

If you put what spammers do in terms of a business model, it doesn't
necessairly make them out to be clean cut business professionals.

Spammers are out to make a buck the cheapest way possible.  Mass email
is the cheapest form of advertizing.  It's cheaper than free (read that
again).  The ones who 'pay' for email are those who spend 2-5 seconds
hitting the delete button.  You could argue that those along the
Internet path also pay, and that is true.

The problem lies because people actually click on the links and
pictures or open up the email, and some of them actually buy from these
people.  They don't send spam to annoy or to get back at the world.
They are out to try to make a quick buck.

> there's still this basic problem:  there's always a
> fresh crop of young teenagers who can send out
> boatloads more spam as an effective
> DDoS/annoyance/way-to-get-back-at-the whole-world.

Nor are spammers just teenagers in dark, musty basements.
 
> So... I really don't think DDoSing spammers is a good
> idea.  It's just a modern form of childish
> vigilante-ism and one that I don't expect to be
> particularly effective.

I don't really like the idea of a DDoS either, but teergrubing is
effective.  Cost them *their* time, and *their* CPU usage at SMTP time.

People who actually buy things from the spammers are the ones who are
costing us.  It reminds me of a sig I see on this list about a village 
missing an idiot. =)

Just food for thought on a Wednesday night.  Back to your regularly
scheduled LUG mail. =)

Jeremy