5 posts tagged “spam”
Since I've joined VOX I've always wondered how popular or well know it has become. A few friends of mine have found VOX (independent of me), but a real (unfortunate) indication of how popular a service has become is the amount of spam you receive on it. Let's just say that FaceBook is really popular.
So VOX must be gaining tracktion as I recevied my first piece of spam from AdultspaceGiftsBot . Thankfully it looks like VOX dropped it's Six Apart shaped hammer on the account and it's no longer active.
In past weeks I have been friended, added or followed by people / companies on the usual social networking platforms. I don't have any examples from Facebook since they already have all my personal information and can serve up highly targeted adds. I don't know if that's better or worse.
But one would think that as the popularity of these social networking services like Pownce, Twitter and VOX push them into mainstream adoption companies will follow the masses to push their brand and win our hearts and minds. Oh and our pocket books.
We all know my on going (losing) battle with chain letters and spam hoaxes, well here's another one.
The Amy Bruce hoax letter got it's start back in 1999 and has been going strong ever since. Just case you're thinking, but it's endorsed by the Make-A-Wish foundation. The Make-A-Wish people even single out this chain letter as a hoax on their site and they never do chain letters.
I find this chain letter especially bad, because it preys upon people's emotions and good will to spread. It takes away from the real efforts of organizations to help children.
Here's the usual sites that debunk this long running chain letter:
about.com
hoax-Slayer.com
breakthechain.com
And here's the letter.
I am 7 years old, and I have severe lung cancer . I also have a large
tumour in my brain, from repeated beatings Doctors say I will
die soon if this isn't fixed, and my family can't pay the bills.
The Make A Wish Foundation has agreed to donate 7 cents for every time
This message is sent on.
For those of you who send this along, I thank you so much, but for
those who don't send it, what goes around comes around.
Have a Heart, please send this.
Please, if you are a kind person, send this on.
PLEASE HIT FORWARD BUTTON NOT REPLY BUTTON.
YOUR'S FAITHFULLY,
AMY BRUCE
amy.bruce@makeawish.com
Well it didn't long for a new strain of the bum_tnoo7 chain letter / spam / hoax to hit the good old FaceBook.
This new version warns us of a new diabolical hacker called Kurt Chapman who no doubt plans to take control of the intertubes simply by having you add him as a friend.
What I find hilarious is that they haven't even bothered to change the text other than the name. Some of the grammatical errors in this version of the letter or the intentional l33t speak (depending on your point of view) have been corrected, but it's basically the same thing.
The bum_tnoo7 warning
If somebody called bum_tnoo7@hotmail.com adds u don't accept it because
its a hacker.
Tell every one on ur list because if somebody on ur list
adds them u get them on ur list he'll figure out ur ID computer
address, so copy and paste this message to every one even if u hate
them and fast cause if he hacks their mail he hacks ur mail!
Kurt Chapman warning
If some boy called KURT CHAPMAN adds u don't accept it because its a hacker!!
So be kind and please don't inundate my inbox with this spam. Thanks!
Now be sure to forward this on to all your friends and if you don't the earth will open up and eat you hole. It's true it happened to me!
When I said that the bum_tnoo7 was internet herpes, I might have misspoke. It's more like the virus from 28 Days later.
You can check out Sophons, Hoax Slayer, Zedge and even personal blogs for examples as to why this is a hoax. Or you could have just Googled it. Yet it keeps getting forwarded on and on and on and... Well you get the picture and my growing annoyance.
One factor this hoax has such legs is Hollywood preying on the fear and ignorance of the non-tech. Tip, a computer will not explode by simply typing explode and hitting enter. Of course if you think that kind of stuff happens your system is probably already compromised with viruses and / or malware.
Another reason is that people just want to help and protect their friends, an admirable sentiment to be sure. But if you're my friend I would much rather get a message from you then forwarded spam. Even a video of a cheerleader getting trampled by the football team as they take the field would be acceptable.
I have no idea who this guy in the photo is, but he's attached to the latest bum_tnoo7 message outbreak on Facebook. I don't know if he's the guy who started the whole thing or just someone adding their photo to the message. But if I every see this guy in public I'm totally going to scream "BUM_TNOO7" at the top of my lungs and run the other way and won't stop till I get home and lock the doors and bolt the windows. Let's just hope he's some innocent bystander for his sake.
Sure things like this are harmless but can you imaging the amount of bandwidth and personal time being consumed right now on this message? Boggles the mind.
So he's my plan. We need a Say No to Forwarding Day. If there's a day for Talk Like a Pirate. I'm sure we could swing this. How about November 1st? Every November 1st don't forward anything to your entire address book without thinking.
Remember, every time you forward spam you support terrorism. You don't want to help terrorists do you? No didn't think so.
My Groups
-
Battlestar Galactica Updated: 39 minutes ago
-
Voxaholic Updated: 1 hour ago
-
The Vox Meetup Group Updated: 1 hour ago
Neighborhood
Explore friends, family, friends & family, or entire neighborhood.
