Anybody heard of the spam distroying screensaver?

from WinCustomize Forums
Well, have you?
Lycos Europe has started to distribute a special screensaver in a controversial bid to battle spam. The program - titled Make Love Not Spam, and available for Windows and the Mac OS - sends a request to view a spam source site. When a large number of screensavers send their requests at the same time the spam web page becomes overloaded and slow.

http://makelovenotspam.com/intl/

Anybody use it yet????
3,693 views 10 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
In Oz sending spam is illegal....and bouncing sent spam classifies as 'sending spam' and is thus also illegal...
Offworld Trading Company
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Actually what the screen saver does is send HTTP request to the spammers websites (without actually loading or viewing the site) causing the spammers bandwidth to increase and network to slow down. They claim it will do this and monitor its rate so as not to take their sites down completely, as this would constitute a denial of service attack.

The idea is to increase the cost of the spammers bandwidth use and make life harder for them. Morally is it right or wrong? I guess thats up for debate. Do I feel sorry for them? Not one freaking bit....




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Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
They claim it will do this and monitor its rate so as not to take their sites down completely, as this would constitute a denial of service attack.


Just a way to keep it 'legal...' Sheesh, I think they should go for a full blown DoS attack and crash the servers, instead of this diluted 'slow em down a little' attempt.
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Heh... if they keep sending spam to me, I'll keep on bouncing it back ~regardless of our anti-spam laws.

...man it's exciting, living on the edge!
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Erk...and I bet you swear at your mum.....

 

Livin' wild and free....keep ahead of the main chance....

Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
The Lyco spam fighting screensaver (www.makelovenotspam.com) has been removed and is no longer available. Lycos has stopped this controversial product. Read about it on CNET news here: http://news.com.com/Lycos+Europes+antispam+tool+no+longer+available/2100-7349_3-5476451.html

So much for that idea....
[Message Edited]
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
wow!! really??? hmmmm...

controversial!!!!
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Joe....probably something to do with #1.....or it's a little too akin to a DOS attack....