General Discussions

**CSS4Life** · 11-02-2007, 08:04 PM

Stupid question, but they are finally thinking outside of the box (sort of).

I've received a number of spammy emails with titles of "Micr0s0ft+ Ad06e sof+ware" - clever or what

Of course, sooner or later this will get picked up and be automatically added to the trash can, but credit where it's due - it's better than the average spammy email.

**vangogh** · 11-02-2007, 10:32 PM

Spammers are just like everyone else in the sense that there are some very smart ones and very dumb ones. Mostly we notice the dumb ones, because they make it so obvious what they're doing.

Most of the time you don't realize the smart ones are even spamming you.

**joder** · 11-02-2007, 10:58 PM

I don't think the smart ones come to forums and drop their links. They are doing the type of spam that has the potential to get them more revenue quicker. Plus they know how to adapt.

**Aadriyah** · 11-02-2007, 11:11 PM

They are considered as smart if they have duped everybody on the net..

**ADAM Web Design** · 11-03-2007, 02:19 AM

I refuse to accept spammer intelligence. That would also require me to accept civil service, corporate logic, and political ethics. These things are all like leprechauns, fairies, and Greenland to me: they're all made up.

It's a cute trick, but sooner or later they'll get tripped up by a spam filter.

**fastreplies** · 11-03-2007, 03:13 AM

Intelligent spammer...
hmmm, definitely oxymoron

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**serandfae** · 11-03-2007, 12:03 PM

The ones spamming the forum today can hardly be characterized as intelligent, unless we're including pond scum in the scale.

**joder** · 11-03-2007, 12:31 PM

Comparative scale for the average population and spammers

Average population
not intelligent ------------------------------------------------ intelligent

Spammers
not intelligent --- Intelligent

As you can see an intelligent spammer is on the low end of the average population.

**serandfae** · 11-03-2007, 12:34 PM

Time to add some more chlorine to the gene pool.....

**fastreplies** · 11-03-2007, 12:50 PM

Time to call Russian Mafia ......

fastreplies

**vangogh** · 11-03-2007, 02:39 PM

Why do people think someone who spams can't be intelligent? I think you're seeing the typical person who sends moronic emails or the person who drops links at forums as the entire definition of someone who spams.

Those people who make it obvious they're spamming aren't too bright I agree, but there far from the only people who are spamming.

Take any cross section of people and you'll find some smart and some not so smart. People who spam are no different.

**ADAM Web Design** · 11-03-2007, 06:10 PM

Because I refuse to acknowledge intelligence among those who make a living out of screwing others. If they were that smart, they'd be able to get what they want without having to resort to this sort of crap.

No matter how "intelligent" a spammer's method may be, a spammer is still a spammer and therefore will never be considered "intelligent".

**KML9870** · 11-03-2007, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ADAM Web Design

Because I refuse to acknowledge intelligence among those who make a living out of screwing others.

Hey, stop talking about my in-laws! Seriously, there are some pretty intelligent schemes out there that don't get caught. Spammers that are really intelligent don't get labeled spammers because they are intelligent are said to have good marketing skills.

**serandfae** · 11-04-2007, 12:08 PM

Don't get me wrong, vangogh, I said the ones spamming here aren't that bright. Sure, the more dangerous ones are bright. It takes more than a little bit of intelligence to be a cracker, set up a botnet, and the like. The spammers who took down Blue Security weren't dumb. But intelligence misdirected still makes a person a waste of protoplasm, IMHO.

**joder** · 01:32 PM

What I see as worse, which I have seen on this forum, is the people who respond that want to buy something, such as a web site template, that is very poorly done. I saw one recently that was very bad and someone responded wanting to purchase it. And for 50 dollars!

**vangogh** · 11-04-2007, 01:22 PM

Adam you're acknowledging or not acknowledging doesn't make things fact. I do understand you're point of view, but the ethics of a spammer and that person's intelligence aren't necessarily related.

I'm not saying people should all run out and start spamming, but whether they do or not is a matter of their ethics and morals and not of their intelligence.

**serandfae** · 11-04-2007, 02:51 PM

I'd still question what the percentage of bright people is compared to the wags in that demographic. It's still arguable that there's a few bright people running the show (fewer in number than the general population) that attract a vast number of buffoons who think they can get rich quick with this garbage.

I do get the distinction you're making between morals and intelligence, here, but if I had to base an opinion on what I see, this group doesn't have an overwhelming number of the best and brightest.

**fastreplies** · 11-04-2007, 04:46 PM

Intelligence IMO goes hand in hand with set of ethics and morals and truly intelligent person
wouldn’t sale them for a few extra $$$

fastreplies

**vangogh** · 11-05-2007, 03:30 PM

Ethics and morals are very different than intelligence. There are incredibly smart people who make moral choices that would offend the majority of us.

You probably can't get everyone in this thread to agree exactly on what is or isn't moral. Morality and ethics are very subjective things.

I realize this example is fictional, but think of a character like Hannibal Lechter from Silence of the Lambs. Clearly someone without much in the ways of morals and ethics, but also clearly someone of very high intelligence. Both are pushed to the extreme for the sake of dramatic effect in the movie, but there are easily many real examples to less extremes.

I think everyone is seeing the obvious spammer as making up all spammers. Why? Don't you think someone smart enough could fool you into believing they aren't a spammer when in fact they are?

Ok I know they can't fool you personally since you're obviously smarter than they are, but why is the assumption that all spammers make themselves obvious?

**fastreplies** · 04:22 PM

I probably should emphasize “High Standards” Ethics and Morals and although
I agree with you in general that even Ted Bundy and David Berkowitz had
their Ethics and Morals but they were limited to not to take candies from the
child if candies wrapped in red paper level never the less they had them too.

I am talking about Ethics and Morals that give you high because you are
making the world around you a better place for others without asking ‘what
is in there for me’ and spammers had that part of the brain removed and
replaced by greed so they can operate in the shadow of their conscious.

Intelligent??? Are they???
Streetwise? Most definitely.
Cunningly smart? You bet.
Intelligent? I don’t think so.

Sorry Steven, but I have to disagree this you on that one

fastreplies