As most regular Aardvark readers will be aware, I'm very much opposed to
spammers and their irritating habits -- such as filling my mailbox with
offers of "Free Satellite TV, Guaranteed Credit, etc."
I'm also aware that our proposed package of new and shiny anti-cybercrime
laws doesn't really protect us from local spammers -- which is something
I believe it should do.
However, all is not lost!
As you'll see in a story linked below, a US spammer has been well and truly
snared by authorities and could face up to seven years jail-time for
hijacking the servers of another company to send out his junk emails.
They didn't charge him with hacking, cyber-trespass or use any other
hi-tech law though. He was whacked with a fraud charge -- because he
used a fake sender's email address on his spam.
If successful, this case will likely set a precedent in the USA and make
all spammers who fake email addresses equally vulnerable to prosecution --
and possible jail-time.
Hooray!
Why Don't They? (Follow-up)
Yesterday's suggestion that cellphones ought to have a business-card
exchange system built into them produced quite a bit of feedback, with
more than a couple readers pointing out that some Nokia phones already
have an infra-red system that does such things.
That's good news -- if the people you meet also have the right model
of Nokia phone but I'm surprised that it only works over an IR link
and isn't radio-based. I think it would be a much nicer system if
the phones didn't have to be pulled out of the users' pockets and
pointed at each other.
Using a radio-link would allow a simple, transparent and automated
exchange of this information.
Then there's the issue of standards. Nokia clearly have their own method
but would Motorola or others be willing to follow it, or would they prefer
an
independent standard?
I predict that this facility will become an essential part of all 3GL phones
within two years -- let's wait and see.
Aardvark Weekly, Have You Got Yours?
The weekly is still trickling out to those who asked for it. The last
of them should be gone today.
If you want to subscribe, just
drop me a note and I'll put you on the list.
As always, your feedback is welcomed and...
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