What exactly is the deal with spam?

[MarillionFan]

Is it illegal to send unsolicited emails? I mean I get stuff through my front door - "To the occupier", "Dear Houseowner" etc etc

So whats the deal with spamming then. If I have a list of email addresses or physicall addresses but nothing else can I just send email/mail?

[wendigo100]

People on the lists don't like to miss out. That's all I know.

What do you want to send - nob enhancement? Viagra? Hot share tips?

[MarillionFan]

Businessman wins e-mail spam case

The spams were in Mr Roberts' personal e-mail account
A businessman has won what is believed to be the first victory of its kind by claiming damages from a company which sent him e-mail spam.
Nigel Roberts, who lives in Alderney in the Channel Islands, took action against Media Logistics UK over junk e-mails in his personal account.
Under new European laws, companies can be sued for sending unwanted e-mails.
The Stirlingshire-based firm has agreed to pay £270 compensation to Mr Roberts, who runs an internet business.
'Tiny victory'
Three years ago the EU passed an anti-spam law, the directive on privacy and telecommunications, which gave individuals the right to fight the growing tide of unwanted e-mail by allowing them to claim damages.
Mr Roberts received unwanted e-mail adverts for a contract car firm and a fax broadcasting business and decided to take action against the company.
The company filed an acknowledgement of the claim at Colchester County Court but did not defend it and a judge ruled in favour of Mr Roberts.
In an out-of-court agreement Media Logistics agreed to pay Mr Roberts damages of £270 plus his £30 filing fee.
Mr Roberts said he had limited his claim to a maximum of £300 in order to qualify to file it as a small claim.
He said: "This may be a tiny victory but perhaps now spammers will begin to realise that people don't have to put up with their e-mail inboxes being filled with unwanted junk."
No-one from Media Logistics UK was available for comment.
A spokesman for the Information Commissioner's Office, the watchdog who oversees the Data Protection Act, said it was the first case of its kind he had heard of.
He said: "What I can say is that I haven't heard of anyone doing so and we haven't taken a case under that legislation."

[oraclesmith]

Basically you have to get their permission to e-mail them. Usually you have to get their permission by some other means - for example collecting contact details on a trade stand.

[_V_]

Is it illegal to send unsolicited emails? I mean I get stuff through my front door - "To the occupier", "Dear Houseowner" etc etc

So whats the deal with spamming then. If I have a list of email addresses or physicall addresses but nothing else can I just send email/mail?

If you are in the EU then there are all sorts of laws regarding spam, cold calling on the phone etc.

The secret is (if you want to spam big time) is to get a company in India or the likes to do it. Make the calls, send the emails etc on your behalf.

That way you can't be touched.

HTH

PS. People who do this are c@nts.

[Mailman]

Obviously though there is money in sending spam otherwise no one would do it.

Mailman

[_V_]

Very big money. Especially this new fad of share tips.

[dork]

Very big money. Especially this new fad of share tips.

Yeah, but who would take tips from an absolute stranger?

[_V_]

Stupid people. Or Americans as we call them. And there's millions of them.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/5284618.stm