Note: This column represents the opinions
of the writer and as such, is not purported as fact
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It's time again for your weekly dose of more mischief and madness from the
hidden depths of cyberspace.
Are your executives overweight, listless, lacking energy? Here's the answer --
ditch that conference table and get a
Conference Bike!
Here's a site
that documents the gradual decomposition of a plate of various meats. There's
a webpage for every day -- and it's very hard not to click on the "next"
button -- even though you know you're not going to like what you see.
When the man from Pizza Haven or Pizza Hut drops those soggy cardboard
boxes on your doorstep, do you ever stop to realise that there are some
very real do's and dont's when it comes to eating pizza? Just in
case you need help, here are some official tips on the
serving and eating of pizza.
Kiwi Spammers A Growing Problem?
Most of the spam we get in our mailboxes comes from overseas sources which
generally means that there's not a lot that our local ISPs can do about it.
Many of these emails are bounced off poorly configured mailservers in
countries such as China, Korea or other Eastern European countries and
quite a few have had their true origins neatly obfuscated.
While there are a few dedicated individuals who religiously pursue
the senders of such spam, most people simply groan and delete it.
But what about spam sent by Kiwis and delivered through local ISP accounts?
Fortunately this type of spamming is rare -- but it seems that it's
becoming more commonplace and those doing it are unrepentant.
One Aardvark reader claims he's been spammed and tricked by the website
findschoolmates.co.nz
after he received an email claiming:
"You have been invited to join the www.findschoolmates.co.nz
website by a friend.
Someone that knows you has sent this to you to inform you of
this site."
Turns out that after the reader went through the registration process, there
was no sign of anyone he'd been to school with. In fact there was no one at
all from *any* of the schools he'd attended.
If you get such an email -- think twice about wasting your time perhaps?
Another reader advises that he's been spammed by
nzbusiness.biz.
Yes folks, it's "yet another online business directory" that expects gullible
people to pay as much as $450 per month to have their product, service or website
promoted on its pages.
The reader says he rang the company's CEO, Pearce Kinchella, who told him that
they'd purchased his email address from "reputable US-based sources" and
appeared unrepentant about his spamming.
Since there are what appear to be paid ads on the site -- I think it's safe
to say that gullibility isn't the sole domain of silly individuals, and perhaps
next time you're dealing with one of those advertisers you might want to ask
them why they're pro-spam.
I tried to contact the company by phone for comment but it seems that they
don't personally answer their calls -- relying instead on an answerphone -- how's
that for the "personal touch?"
Their unsolicited commercial email appears to have been sent through XTRA who,
according to the person who reported this incident to me, simply
aren't interested in pursuing the sender for breaching their terms of service.
Have your say.
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