What to do about ALLADVANTAGE.COM??
Doug Yanega
early groups (the abg.*, alc.*, and alt.* hierarchies, for instance), in
just about an hour I've now spotted roughly 50 different people posting
spam advertising for AllAdvantage.com, which *ostensibly* has policies
against spamming - but for some reason these spammers all quote their
"referral numbers", which means there is some sort of recruitment
incentive plan - in other words, an explicit policy that encourages people
to engage in mass-mailing and mass-posting. I notice that reports are now
showing up in n.a.n-a.sightings of alladvantage spams via e-mail, so this
is growing in scope, what a surprise. The worst offender I've spotted so
far is some joker (apparently twhe...@thesocket.com) using spamware that
always ends his address with the string "@ghduidri.com".
Just do a Dejanews search on the last week for any messages from
"@ghduidri.com" - there are thousands of them, all from this exact same
spammer, using multiple link-to sites (so there are three variants of the
spam, all given below), and using spamware to produce variant headers and
usernames (in other words, he KNOWS it's unethical and is trying to avoid
detection); but the @ghduidri.com is always the same, making it easy to
track his messages down. The cleanup of these postings could take a LONG
while, nonetheless, unless someone with a cancelbot could set it to find
and remove everything with that "@ghduidri.com" in it.
This is intolerable net abuse, almost as bad as it gets, and the folks
at AllAdvantage.com are obviously encouraging it with their MLM-style
referral garbage. I suspect shutting down AllAdvantage.com entirely is the
only real hope of stopping this whole insane mess, but they've obviously
got their hooks in deep, and at least can *claim* that it's not their
idea. "Gee, we can't be blamed for this - we TELL people not to spam!".
Anyone got any ideas how to stop the flood of spam that is beginning,
before it pyramids up into something even worse?
---------
VERSION 1:
Path:
pravda.ucr.edu!awabi.library.ucla.edu!128.32.206.55!newsfeed.berkeley.edu!su-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.gtei.net!news.pbi.net!207.104.120.8!news.thesocket.com!twhe...@thesocket.com
From: lmv...@ghduidri.com
Newsgroups: alabama.sports.alabama,alabama.sports.auburn,alabama.sports.misc
Subject: ĒšJust SurfĒļGet Paid $$$ !! 799
Date: 17 Apr 1999 19:18:13 GMT
Organization: news.thesocket.com (Server 4)
Lines: 36
Message-ID: <7fampl$86...@decsafe3.thesocket.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: 203.227.34.23
Xref: pravda.ucr.edu alabama.sports.alabama:4262
alabama.sports.auburn:3036 alabama.sports.misc:316
Get Paid to Surf the Web!
I want to let you know about an exciting Internet community in
the making. Please take a few minutes to read below.
Facts:
1. A "few" people/companies are making millions of dollars on
the Internet.
2. AllAdvantage.com will share the wealth.
3. The Internet changes everything.
Questions:
1. How many advertisements do you think you get HIT WITH
every time you are on the Web? (hundreds to thousands)
2. How much money do the advertisers PAY YOU while you are
surfing the Web? (Nothing, ZERO, unless you sign up with
AllAdvantage.com.)
3. Does your on-line community PAY YOU to cruise the globe
on the WWW?
4. Would you like to GET PAID for your time online?
5. Would you like to GET PAID for friends that you referred
to this site while they are online?
This is a radically simple concept.
AllAdvantage.com is an Internet company positioned to share
the wealth of the Web.
Visit http://www.megabanners.com/freelinks/ak45855.html
Then lick the link positioned top above and sign up today.
Have a nice day!
wlsehhfxrnsztmopxmcrvhhlzwqgxfmmjqbhuhlnhrghhtymdeclmnygcgqvqnxvklwdjmkbfedwfdnbqelhfwnpseioijfwngziysktyjcjpjpjzvzvyghrmzmzxnpuhleprysscrxllllrtqmtvonpweywnzltekfpmbree
---------
VERSION 2:
Path:
pravda.ucr.edu!awabi.library.ucla.edu!128.32.206.55!newsfeed.berkeley.edu!su-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.gtei.net!news.pbi.net!207.104.120.8!news.thesocket.com!twhe...@thesocket.com
From: lys...@ghduidri.com
Newsgroups: alabama.birmingham.students,alabama.config,alabama.decatur.general
Subject: ĒšWhen You SurfĒšGet PAID $1/2hs! 6038
Date: 17 Apr 1999 19:18:10 GMT
Organization: news.thesocket.com (Server 4)
Lines: 21
Message-ID: <7fampi$86...@decsafe3.thesocket.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: 203.227.34.23
Xref: pravda.ucr.edu alabama.birmingham.students:302 alabama.config:100
alabama.decatur.general:557
Get Paid to Surf the Web!
As a member, AllAdvantage.com will pay you 50 cents an hour
while you surf the Web.
Just go to http://freehosting.at.webjump.com/lo/lollol/getpaid.htm
All members download the AllAdvantage.com ViewbarĒâ. The bar
is standard ad height, about one-half inch on most screens.
The bar can be minimized with a single click to eliminate it
from the screen at any time.
Refer friends to AllAdvantage.com and receive 10 cents per
hour while they surf the Web. And receive an additional 5
cents per hour from the extended referrals that come in from
your referrals!
Have a nice day!
jyxvzzgtrymvdpzjuhejnireimwbnqncyyrgsdbwwshhoftqiqneqimjybxwlvzfofczodmijvhhnkwcqsxyzyqtfydjmxcwuqzlrnywuikeettlmoicrtodtgk
--------
VERSION 3:
Path:
pravda.ucr.edu!awabi.library.ucla.edu!128.32.206.55!newsfeed.berkeley.edu!su-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.gtei.net!news.pbi.net!207.104.120.8!news.thesocket.com!twhe...@thesocket.com
From: zky...@ghduidri.com
Newsgroups: abg.uucp.waffle,abg.witziges,abq.for-sale
Subject: GET PAIDĄßFor Your Time OnlineĄß 8023
Date: 17 Apr 1999 19:18:03 GMT
Organization: news.thesocket.com (Server 4)
Lines: 15
Message-ID: <7fampb$86...@decsafe3.thesocket.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: 203.227.34.23
Xref: pravda.ucr.edu abg.uucp.waffle:1439 abg.witziges:2276
Get Paid to Surf the Web!
I recently joined a new Internet service called AllAdvantage.com.
You should definitely consider becoming a member. Members are
paid for their own Web browsing and for referrals.
Just go to http://www.freez.com/cash/getpaid3.htm
Hit the link now. Sign up (less than a minute - NO SURVEY) and
then go tell your friends.
Have a nice day!
opgvvtynksoktmsuksbdstylxzynqhcqdroknptzkblmtxekxcctxesddzjbyxlpesdmwpmxnjmdhcqclsngqfwuluszcitvsijwqrbmwgfdyzcdddwlpwjucwjgsnbobyqilykzpexhlskvdwlckgckfutmmndbgfjpxklswsdjkgmmonszsiwwyciobjxqmpz
--------
Doug Yanega Dept. of Entomology
Entomology Research Museum Univ. of California
Riverside, CA 92521 909-787-4315
http://www.icb.ufmg.br/~dyanega/
"There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness is
the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick
Andrew Gierth
Doug> This looks bad, and is fast getting out of control.
I've had this on auto-cancel for a while, and recently adapted to
catch people who put their alladvantage URL behind a click-through.
Yesterday I cancelled 2500 of them.
--
Andrew.
J. Porter Clark
>This looks bad, and is fast getting out of control. Looking through the
>early groups (the abg.*, alc.*, and alt.* hierarchies, for instance), in
>just about an hour I've now spotted roughly 50 different people posting
>spam advertising for AllAdvantage.com, which *ostensibly* has policies
>against spamming - but for some reason these spammers all quote their
>"referral numbers", which means there is some sort of recruitment
>incentive plan - in other words, an explicit policy that encourages people
>to engage in mass-mailing and mass-posting. I notice that reports are now
>showing up in n.a.n-a.sightings of alladvantage spams via e-mail, so this
>is growing in scope, what a surprise. The worst offender I've spotted so
>far is some joker (apparently twhe...@thesocket.com) using spamware that
>always ends his address with the string "@ghduidri.com".
As far I can tell, alladvantage is merely a Ponzi scheme. Take a look
at this part:
http://www.alladvantage.com/tell.asp?path=home#3
Somebody tell me why that's NOT a Ponzi scheme.
I have complained to ab...@digex.net and bbr...@ftc.gov, and I advise
you to do likewise.
I also advise everyone who is offended by this spam to help get it
squashed, or you will probably see variants of this scheme posted all
over the net in no time at all. My guess is that Uncle Sam will
eventually shut down alladvantage, but that will take time.
Several of the regular despammers are going after this crud. I filter
it at my site.
--
J. Porter Clark porter...@msfc.nasa.gov
NASA/MSFC Computers and Data Systems Group
Joshua Kramer
(J. Porter Clark) wrote:
> As far I can tell, alladvantage is merely a Ponzi scheme. Take a look
> at this part:
>
> http://www.alladvantage.com/tell.asp?path=home#3
>
> Somebody tell me why that's NOT a Ponzi scheme.
You don't pay anyone anything.
--
Joshua B. Kramer, weaver of turds jkr...@sccs.swarthmore.edu
"Usenet rage - It's not just posting, it's a blood sport."
"I'm multi-talented. I can talk and piss you off at the same time"
Knight of the Ancient Garter of Romath (WE ARE ALL ROMATH)
Andrew Gierth
J> As far I can tell, alladvantage is merely a Ponzi scheme. Take a look
J> at this part:
J> http://www.alladvantage.com/tell.asp?path=home#3
J> Somebody tell me why that's NOT a Ponzi scheme.
Because the money (assuming it ever appears) isn't coming from the
members.
--
Andrew.
J. Porter Clark
Robert F. Golaszewski
news:7fiim6$ka8$1...@drum.msfc.nasa.gov...
>
> As far I can tell, alladvantage is merely a Ponzi scheme. Take a look
Because they have a legitimate product, I doubt it meets the legal
definition of a Ponzi scheme.
> I have complained to ab...@digex.net and bbr...@ftc.gov, and I advise
> you to do likewise.
>
> I also advise everyone who is offended by this spam to help get it
> squashed, or you will probably see variants of this scheme posted all
> over the net in no time at all. My guess is that Uncle Sam will
> eventually shut down alladvantage, but that will take time.
I doubt it.
> Several of the regular despammers are going after this crud. I filter
> it at my site.
As far as I can tell, the only way to deal with this is for ISP's to
prohibit this sort of thing in their TOS agreements. The *real* concern
is: what about some regular Usenet poster, such as myself, just adding a
small blurb as a hyperlink to their .sig files? I'm not planning on doing
so, but it would make good financial sense for others to do so.
--
-Robert F. Golaszewski
("A man without religion is like a fish without a bicycle"- Vique's Law)
Visit http://third-plateau.lycaeum.org/cgi/anyboard/board/index.html
for the best general interest site on the Net about
DXM (dextromethorphan) used recreationally.
Grouch
wrote:
>This looks bad, and is fast getting out of control.
<snip>
After about a bazillion complaints, I just received something
that actually looks like action on the part of Alladvantage. Instead
of the long, canned reply; I got a short "Thanks for the information!
We are marking those people and contacting them directly with the
appropriate action." The particular page that generated my complaint
is now gone.
--
gro...@surfnetusa.com - DON'T SPAM ME!
Sending me an unsolicited e-mail AD violates new 1999
CA anti-spam laws - I live in CA and use a CA ISP