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Thread: Lycos Tackles SPAM

  1. #1
    Senior Member ajbrun's Avatar
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    Thumbs up Bad Idea

    http://search.lycos.co.uk/searchFram...ER%26cat%3Dloc

    I think I've heard this idea somwhere before. You download a screensaver that constantly demands pictures etc from the server that SPAM sites are hosted on. It doesn't try to crash the server - instead, it tries to up the bandwidth, so that for the spamming to continue, they'd have to pay more for extra bandwidth.

    I think I'll read more about it on lycos (i'll have to find it first), then I might download it when it comes out tomorrow. What do you guys think?

    More info + download - http://makelovenotspam.com/intl/

    See below for apology.
    Last edited by ajbrun; 01-12-2004 at 09:11 PM.

  2. #2
    TiG
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    this idea quite frankly scares the living crap out of me, imagine a hacker getting some way of spoofing the list it goes and connects to. Then changes the list to completely legitimate sites, or the spammers gets a advertising deal on pence per click, or something similarly stupid.

    I value the attempt but think a more co-ordinated and potentially more moral approach is important. I'd think that Lycos could be very vunerable to law suits as well especially if it does takes sites down.

    Sorry just my view.

    TiG
    -- Hexus Meets Rock! --

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    Senior Member ajbrun's Avatar
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    Good point - didn't think of that .

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    Goron goron Kumagoro's Avatar
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    i use lycos and their report spam feature does seem to make a diff if you do it all the time with every spam mail. but i still keep getting god damn replica rolex ones...

  5. #5
    Ex-MSFT Paul Adams's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ajbrun
    I think I'll read more about it on lycos (i'll have to find it first), then I might download it when it comes out tomorrow. What do you guys think?
    While I hate spam and hackers, "retribution" programs are a ridiculous idea.

    Yay, let's waste bandwidth (our own, our ISPs, their ISPs, theirs).
    Yay, let's run the risk of legitimate sites being targetted, as TiG points out.

    This kind of thing is viewed as irresponsible by security people generally - you will get flamed to hell if you try to promote a tool you wrote to respond to port scans by DOS'ing the apparent source of the pre-attack probe.
    Spoofing is a perfect way to get a user to exact revenge on someone who didn't even send a single packet to you, for example.

    Great, take the spam websites offline by increasing their running costs for websites... I guess this would just push up the size of email spam as they would attach the pictures inline instead.
    Spammers are used to being forced to relocate sites regularly anyway, and they use one-off credit card details to sign up different accounts as they expect the accounts to be shut down and the credit card to be blacklisted by ISPs.
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    LOL if this idea doesnt go BANG! I bet it comes back to bite Lycos on the rear end

    Gotta be one of the dumbest ideas from a company in a long time..
    ~NiROE~

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    I was discussing this on another forum about a week ago...Its a terrible idea for some of the reasons mentioned above.

    Also what happens if your site (or Hexus) is hosted in the same data centre? Would you like the datacentre to go offline cause of excessive traffic due to one site?

    No, ****e idea tbh. Im quite surprised that a large company such as lycos even thought about this idea. Not good.
    Twigman

  8. #8
    Homestarr Mod
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    ok it must be Arpil 1st ??????????????????????????????

  9. #9
    Goron goron Kumagoro's Avatar
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    it was probably a publicity stunt

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    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/12...s_spam_attack/

    Looks like its already hit some trouble... Hacked already?
    ~NiROE~

  11. #11
    Senior Member ajbrun's Avatar
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    OK, I realise now that it wasn't such a good idea. Please forgive me for making such an obvious mistake .

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