Asking Spammer to Stop E-mailing: What’s the Point

Given how long e-mail spam has plagued our inboxes, it surprises me that people still get up in arms over it. If someone needs you to sneak their fortune out of the country or attempts to sell you "Viagra", what do you expect to happen when you ask to be removed from their mailing list. Do you really think they care. In some cases all you're doing is confirming that your e-mail account is active. Then they'll send more spam and/or sell your e-mail address to other spammers.

Over the past week, I was included in an interesting exchange through a mailing list created by a spammer. After sending out the spam message, several recipients asked to be removed from the list. But since they responded through a mailing list everyone got the message causing even more anger and confusion. They started e-mailing messages like "Why are you e-mailing me, this is my work place, I don't know you." and "A complaint will be lodged with the authorities if you do not cease your actions."

In the end nobody really wins except the spammer. Don't get me wrong, spam is annoying. Living in a world where we're not bombarded with get-rich-quick schemes, e-cigarette sales, etc. would be ideal. But I'm not holding my breath.

In the meantime, we need to live with whatever spam-prevention solutions are available to us. We also have the handy delete key for those pesky messages that make it through the filters. It takes less than a second. And you may even save yourself from more spam.