[SpamCop-List] Re: Just got a political spam

[Mike Easter]

Joe wrote:
> I think this may be just the beginning of a very long campaign. Here
> in CA, there are several expenditure-related ballot measures coming
> up in
> the March primary. I just got one suggesting I vote No on Proposition
> 56. Needless to say, I was undecided but I am now voting yes on 56 and
> am going to donate some money to whomever is raising funds to help
> pass this measure.

For some spams, I think it is useful to characterize them by whether or
not they appear to be 'straightup', where straightup I define as From: =
source = spamvertised or promoted website.  I would say that is a good
thing to examine for political spams.  Pols are full of dirty tricks.

In this case the From: addy corresponds with the source IP.  That
'straightup' characteristic also usually means that there is /not/ some
kind of abused proxy or trojan involved in the mailing.  There is a
certain degree of 'honesty' involved in straightup spams.  That doesn't
mean it isn't spam.  It just means that at least the sender isn't being
deceptive and isn't abusive to anyone but you the unsoliciting
recipient, and some recipients might even welcome the item.

If you 'mindmeld' that concept with the fact that some people actually
want to receive certain types of promotions which strike a chord with
them, then on a sliding scale of abuse, the straightup spam has a lower
abuse score than one which has a bogus From and an 'illegitimate'
transmission.  The illegitimate ones are also against some laws, which
the straightups usually aren't.

> Headers, if you're interested:
>
> Return-path: HowardJarvisTaxpayersAssociation at EASY-FASTWEB.COM

> Received: from unknown (HELO mail) ([65.210.136.196])

> From: HowardJarvisTaxpayersAssociation
>       <HowardJarvisTaxpayersAssociation at easy-fastweb.com>
> Reply-to: reply at easy-fastweb.com
> Error-path: bounces1 at easy-fastweb.com
> Subject: No on 56, Defend Prop 13, Save 2/3 Vote to Increase Taxes

dns easy-fastweb.com
Mail for easy-fastweb.com is handled by mail.easy-fastweb.com
65.210.136.162

That's close enough to the source, making it straightup.

I also don't think it is wise to formulate your vote on an issue in the
same way you decide which bookstore you want to visit or shun.  There
are all kinds of political groups which might do some kind of
misbehavior.  Voting one way or another on the basis of who spammed you
is abrogating your responsibility to behave as an informed voter.

-- 
Mike Easter