Journal m2bord's Journal: ISPs and hosting companies hosting spammers 2
Last week I posted my comments about the pro-spamming attitude or at least the heel-dragging of image hosting company, Picoodle. Today, I'll address the bigger problem, hosting companies hosting spammers.
Every day I surf a well known classified ads site looking for bargains for my hobbies. I'm seldom lucky but you never know. One day I was looking for one of those coolers that hold ice and drinks that you see inside most convenience stores. The round ones with the plastic tops are the ones I'm talking about and I looked in the Business/Commercial category and saw the ton of spam/get rich quick come on's/MLM offers, and other wastes of money (most borderline illegal).
Most users flag them but I began to do research and discovered that these people have automated software to make these posts. So I thought that I would address this by approaching the image hosters about removing the offending images. Most legitimate companies have so far complied within 36 hours. One, Picoodle, refuses to even respond to email inquiries asking them to investigate these claims.
So now...I began a project, identify the URLs of these posters, email their hosting company, ask them to investigate these claims and if appropropriate, ask them to enforce their Terms of Service (TOS).
Is this a good idea or am I asking for trouble/retaliation?
Every day I surf a well known classified ads site looking for bargains for my hobbies. I'm seldom lucky but you never know. One day I was looking for one of those coolers that hold ice and drinks that you see inside most convenience stores. The round ones with the plastic tops are the ones I'm talking about and I looked in the Business/Commercial category and saw the ton of spam/get rich quick come on's/MLM offers, and other wastes of money (most borderline illegal).
Most users flag them but I began to do research and discovered that these people have automated software to make these posts. So I thought that I would address this by approaching the image hosters about removing the offending images. Most legitimate companies have so far complied within 36 hours. One, Picoodle, refuses to even respond to email inquiries asking them to investigate these claims.
So now...I began a project, identify the URLs of these posters, email their hosting company, ask them to investigate these claims and if appropropriate, ask them to enforce their Terms of Service (TOS).
Is this a good idea or am I asking for trouble/retaliation?
It can be done, and it can even work (Score:2)
In other words, you have the right idea by choosing to "follow the money", so to speak. Because of course the image hosting company is hosting it because they are getting something out of it. Therefore, you need to either remove the incentive, or find someone who has oversight that can turn the screws.
And of course I'm s
Re: (Score:2)
These two sites, ServeIO does web hosting and Picoodle hosts the images, together are hosting the sites for a spammer whose domain I am not going to publicize here to give him/her more attention.
We need to reign these people in and we need Slashdotter's to come down on these two sites. My hope was to draw attention to this issue.