Fight spamers with your screensaver

[Jim Kring]

I read this article on slashdot about a screensaver from lycos that "that targets known spam servers (taken from spamcop and verified by hand) with traffic in order to raise their bandwidth costs and hopefully price them out of the game."

You can download the screensaver from here.

The coolest part of the screensaver is the world map, showing the spammers' locations, some statistics, and the spammer that you are currently "attacking" :thumbup:

[PJM_labview]

Apparently this work very well. (too well) ?

Anti-spam plan overwhelms sites

PJM

[Michael Aivaliotis]

You can download the screensaver from here.

2777[/snapback]

Jim, the site "http://makelovenotspam.com/" seems to be overloaded because I can't get in. Do you have the file you can upload here so me and others can get it?

[jpdrolet]

Anti-spam campaign put on hold here

The numerical internet address of the site has also changed. This is likely to be in response to spammers who have reportedly redirected traffic from their sites back to the Lycos screensaver site.

Net Wars! A New Hope and

Spammer Strikes Back

Now playing in a computer near you.

[Jim Kring]

Net Wars! A New Hope and

Spammer Strikes Back

Begun, this spam war has.

(credit - Draakneuz, fark.com thread posting)

Download File:post-17-1102089912.zip

[Mike Ashe]

Thanks for the post & attachment Jim. Great idea to run a DDS against the spammers. It would be nice to be able to add spammers to your list when they email you.

Firefox and Thunderbird rule!

[Jim Kring]

Thanks for the post & attachment Jim. Great idea to run a DDS against the spammers. It would be nice to be able to add spammers to your list when they email you.

Firefox and Thunderbird rule!

2910[/snapback]

Actually, it is not a DDS. It is not intended to overload the servers to the point that anyone is denied service. It is simply designed to consume measureable non-revenue-generating bandwith, which raises the spammers' cost of doing business. A DDS would be illegal.

[Michael Aivaliotis]

A DDS would be illegal.

2912[/snapback]

Really?

Currently laws in many countries do not explicitly outlaw DDoS attacks but many nations are re-drafting computer use laws to make them specific offences.

So is it illegal?

[Jim Kring]

Really?

So is it illegal?

2915[/snapback]

"illegal" might have been a little too strong. How about "not advisable, from a legal perspective". While, something might not explicitly be a criminal offense, you could still get sued for damages. A DDS attack is aimed at completely shutting down someone's business presence -- that equates to financial damages.

[Mike Ashe]

"illegal" might have been a little too strong.  How about "not advisable, from a legal perspective".  While, something might not explicitly be a criminal offense, you could still get sued for damages.  A DDS attack is aimed at completely shutting down someone's business presence -- that equates to financial damages.

2920[/snapback]

Hmmm... if use of the screensaver is intended to drive up someones costs, could not this be construed to equate to "financial damages" and therefore cause salivation in the company's "lawyer on a leash"? Probably not a problem for the rack and file user, but for the original programmers of the screen saver?

[jpdrolet]

And which service is denied actually?

[PJM_labview]

Apparently, lycos drop out that campain.

Lycos Pulls Anti-Spam 'Vigilante' Campaign

PJM