What’s my email address again?
06 Oct 2004I’ve received another bout of email intended for someone else’s eyes today, which is remarkably irritating. More so, as it is evident that these emails come as a result of that person thinking they still have the address which they have abandoned, and I have acquired. That’s what happens when you have in ISP-based address, I guess, but I got it before purchasing this domain, and it’s being retained for the next while, at least until the quantities of spam pouring into it get too ridiculous.
The signal-noise ratio for my email is getting much better than it used to be — In the last twenty-four hours, I had an 18:158 spam-to-real email ratio, which is pretty damn good (about 11.5% is spam). A few months back, I’d be getting well above 40 spam messages a day. The best thing I’ve ever done for reducing spam is disabling the automatic display of external images in email messages. It takes about four clicks to view images, if that is something I wish to do (at the minute, Macromedia is pretty much the only place I get email from that sends external linked messages, aside from Sato, who try to use FRAMES in their messages, instead. I continue to roll my eyes in disgust.), and besides, images that are attachments still display fine.
What’s the purpose of this? Well, if an image URI string has an identifier in it, then spam campaigns can track which messages are being received and/or opened — and send MORE spam to that address. If I’m not loading the images, then their server isn’t getting a request from me, and they don’t know that the message was received, and, in theory at least, give up.
The numbers would suggest that this is working. Except it doesn’t do much to cull the stupidity of some people. Like my car-loving friend with whom I have never spoken, Mr. Josh Marks of 5 Crespin Place Roxburgh Park, Victoria. The poor man has been trying to purchase a car for some time now, and keeps giving the wrong email address on the form. They contact the email address with details about the brochures he has ordered, but the owner of the address, yours truly, couldn’t care less.
There is a phone number on the form he submitted (the details of the form are inline at the bottom of the reply, which is how I know all this… no friends in the ASIO, sorry to disappoint), which, so it turns out, is as incorrect as the email address. It’s a wonder he didn’t get the mailing address wrong.
I called the number that was listed on the form, (03) 9308 —0, given as his “Business” number, and it was answered by a girl who sounded as though she were about 7 years old, who (quite politely) informed me that I probably had the wrong number. Arrggghh!!!! I called interstate and didn’t even get to rant at the right guy!! How much does that suck?
Anyway. A quick lookup on Australia’s phone directory, White Pages residential listing revealed his home number to be (03) 9308 7989 — the last character of which is immediately next to the “zero”. I’m still wondering how he managed to get the email address wrong, though.
Not only that, the same incorrect phone number was also given on two completely separate forms! I have, sitting in my inbox, emails from Suburu, Holden Australia, Honda and Mercedes Benz (DaimlerChrysler being the originating domain) and possibly others. On all of these forms, the same mistakes are reproduced, without fault! It’s a miracle this person goes home to the right house (5 Crespin Pl, Roxburgh Park)… this is unconfirmed, of course.
What makes it even more ridiculous, is the fact that this guy is apparently still at school. You think I’m breaking all the rules in posting this guys phone number, full name, and home address on my website? I’ll go one step further, and publish email messages not intended for me. I have no qualms with doing this, as the emails were evidently intended for myself — they are repeatedly sent, containing the same content, and bear no message requesting that the emails be kept confidential or returned to sender if they reach the wrong recipient. I’m more than covered — I have tried, on several occasions now, to send email to the addresses from which this email has come, and it has bounced from their servers. No alternate contact method was given, and I have taken all reasonable steps to try and resolve the situation (including making interstate phone calls at cost to myself — albeit to the wrong number, but I’ll be giving the home number a buzz sometime soon). Muwahahahaha.
Hi, My Name Is Josh and at school i am doing a project on
two of holden’s vehicles, The New Commodore SV6, and the VZ Monaro, could
you please send me some information on these cars
Oooh, it’s the fully sick Monaro, bro. You’re doing a project, so you send messages to every car manufacturer on the face of the planet with the wrong return details. Did you fail the project?