Spamming the ADS - L Mailing List

[Baker, John]

        Someone, presumably as a malicious joke, signed Billy Thomas on to about 300 email lists.  Billy then started writing the email lists to ask for removal.

        David Blanco saw Billy's post to ADS-L, asking for removal, and thought it was a personal email to him.  He replied that his company purchases lists for one-time-use only and that Billy was not on any of their current lists.  In other words, David was confused.

        I don't speak for the Society, obviously, but there is no reason to believe that it sells members' email addresses, especially since anyone who wants to can use the Review command to get the email addresses.  The Review command predates the widespread use of spam.  Perhaps it's time for our listowners to change the list's properties and keep private the addresses of non-posting members.  I can't think of any good reason for that information to be freely available anyway.

John Baker


-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU]On Behalf
Of Educational CyberPlayGround
Sent: Thursday, February 10, 2005 7:17 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Spamming the ADS - L Mailing List


Excuse me, but I don't follow this.

Does American Dialect Society sell their members email addresses?

Do they sell addresses to a company called LIFELINKNET.COM?

from:

http://www.americandialect.org/adsl.html

To Conceal Your Subscription Status From Others
Please note that it is possible for other people to determine that you are
signed up to the list through the use of the "REVIEW" command, which
returns the e-mail address and name of all the subscribers. If you do not
want your name to be visible, just send a "SET ADS-L CONCEAL" command to
<mailto:listserv at listserv.uga.edu>listserv at listserv.uga.edu.

More Commands
More information on LISTSERV commands can be found in the LISTSERV
reference card, which you can retrieve by sending an "INFO REFCARD" command
to <mailto:listserv at listserv.uga.edu>listserv at listserv.uga.edu.

List Managers
If you have questions about ADS-L, send email to
<mailto:t.irons at morehead-st.edu?subject=Question%20from%20an%20ADS-L%20Subscriber>Terry
Irons

JavaScript must be enabled to display this email address.
or
<mailto:jester at panix.com?subject=Question%20from%20an%20ADS-L%20Subscriber>Jesse
Sheidlower


please clarify & thanks,

Karen


At 11:40 AM 2/9/2005, you wrote:
>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>-----------------------
>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster:       David Blanco <sales at LIFELINKNET.COM>
>Subject:      Re: Mail list
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>We purchase list for a "one time mailing" and are allowed to maintain the
>name only if the customer responds to our solicitation.  You are not on any
>current list of ours.
>
>Sincerely,
>David Blanco
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Billy Thomas" <billyeo2003 at SBCGLOBAL.NET>
>To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2005 2:58 PM
>Subject: Mail list
>
>
>Someone subscribed me to your list and about 300 others.Please take me off
>of your mail list.