Is this a WACKY idea?

Hi,

As I was emptying my two email accounts for spam this morning an idea came into my head?

Has there ever been a book or magazine published purely with spam-emails? I know it sounds wacky! But think of the tons of spam you get each day! Amongst those there are "funny" ones, interesting ones, disgusting ones, downright criminal ones (well they all are), etc.

Getting the "material" for this "publication" would be free...just open up your email inbox each day and select a couple.

Is this just wacky? Or would there be a curiousness factor making this idea somehow viable?

Any ideas and thoughts are appreciated!

Regards,

Fred

My Daddy always said you could sell horse manure if you advertised it enough and he was right!..."Wacky er" things than this have sold so why not give it a try?...You just might have the next "pet rock"....Rooster

Hi,

> As I was emptying my two email accounts for
> spam this morning an idea came into my head?

> Has there ever been a book or magazine
> published purely with spam-emails? I know it
> sounds wacky! But think of the tons of spam
> you get each day! Amongst those there are
> "funny" ones, interesting ones,
> disgusting ones, downright criminal ones
> (well they all are), etc.

> Getting the "material" for this
> "publication" would be free...just
> open up your email inbox each day and select
> a couple.

> Is this just wacky? Or would there be a
> curiousness factor making this idea somehow
> viable?

> Any ideas and thoughts are appreciated!

> Regards,

> Fred

> My Daddy always said you could sell horse
> manure if you advertised it enough and he
> was right!..."Wacky er" things
> than this have sold so why not give it a
> try?...You just might have the next
> "pet rock"....Rooster

> Hi,

While you MAY have a 'sellable' idea, stop and think for a moment.

People already complain about spam. So you want to provide them with more? You expect them to pay for spam? Only those who support spammers already (and don't use their heads) would probably be your customers.

Spammers are already invading the internet email sufficiently to cause concern about bringing everything to do with it to a screeching halt. Do you really want to encourage more??? Why give the bad guys a free ride?

If you think this will lessen the amount of spam, think again. Spammers will pick up on this and half of the danged ebooks we 'purchase' will be full of spam. Legitimate publishers will be out of business because people will stop buying unless they know the publisher personally or by reputation. Even then it could be faked...

Why open up a can of worms? Try some real spam (the canned meat variety) if you're hungry (unless you're a fish...). I thought at first this was a post by a spammer fishing the market potential but I know better. Still, by posting here you have already provided ideas that could do us all harm.

People, stop and think about the consequences before you post or do something!

Sandi




Home & Family Info and Fun!

Fred:

Your idea has merits. And even more so when you add a twist to it.

Sandi makes a good point. We are sick and tired of the traditional SPAM - ****, viagra, weightloss, credit cards, ink and toner refilling, mortgage rates, cheaper prescriptions, and so on. And there would be very few of us who would pay just to read the stuff we delete.

Sure, there could be an offline market for such a book. But after you've read one you're read them all.

Instead of that kind of spam... how 'bout a book of Nigerian Scam Spam - complete with your dialog with these spammers?

Make up a character or two, create a few email acounts, and have fun with them. String them along. Act dumb.

To see this kind of thing, visit the following site: http://www.scamorama.com/ (There are loads of "stories" - all of 'em set ups to make the scammers waste their time. It's quite entertaining.)

A book like that may sell well if advertised in the right places for the right price.

Hope this helps.

Michael Ross


Get more great ideas here

>While you MAY have a 'sellable' idea, stop
>and think for a moment.

> People already complain about spam. So you
> want to provide them with more? You expect
> them to pay for spam? Only those who support
> spammers already (and don't use their heads)
> would probably be your customers.

> Spammers are already invading the internet
> email sufficiently to cause concern about
> bringing everything to do with it to a
> screeching halt. Do you really want to
> encourage more??? Why give the bad guys a
> free ride?

> If you think this will lessen the amount of
> spam, think again. Spammers will pick up on
> this and half of the danged ebooks we
> 'purchase' will be full of spam. Legitimate
> publishers will be out of business because
> people will stop buying unless they know the
> publisher personally or by reputation. Even
> then it could be faked...

> Why open up a can of worms? Try some real
> spam (the canned meat variety) if you're
> hungry (unless you're a fish...). I thought
> at first this was a post by a spammer
> fishing the market potential but I know
> better. Still, by posting here you have
> already provided ideas that could do us all
> harm.

> People, stop and think about the
> consequences before you post or do
> something!

> Sandi

...Sandi, I appreciate your response. However, I think you are WAY overreacting.

The demise of legitimate publishers as a consequence of such a "publication"...well...I think that's as far fetched as some of the promises of riches we receive everyday in our inboxes.

As Mike points out (posted below), a twist to the original "idea" might be a way to go, and could become quite an amusing read.

Regards,

Fred

> ...Sandi, I appreciate your response.
> However, I think you are WAY overreacting.

> The demise of legitimate publishers as a
> consequence of such a
> "publication"...well...I think
> that's as far fetched as some of the
> promises of riches we receive everyday in
> our inboxes.

> As Mike points out (posted below), a twist
> to the original "idea" might be a
> way to go, and could become quite an amusing
> read.

> Regards,

> Fred

Hi, Fred,

Appreciate your feelings and response but I had very good reasons for stating it as strongly as I did.

I have seen, in the past six months numerous good, some very long-time, publishers put out of business, literally, by spammers. I have personally been the victim of FALSE spam accusation due to my hosts IP#'s being blacklisted because spammers used their servers. No exaggeration is needed...just ask some of the victims to whom it has already happened.

Why not ask the multitude of publishers who have been wondering why their sales have fallen precipitously, even before the war and other factors? There's too much junk out there and it's making people leery of ebooks in general. Add spammer texts to that and you'll see the market, which is already suffering, virtually dry up.

Better yet, ask some of the publishers that are trying desperately to serve their REQUESTED, OPT-IN (some even paid for!)ezines to their subscribers about the hassles that spammers are causing them. I gave up trying to publish two ezines because of the hassles.

To make use of spammer stuff, for whatever reason, only encourages them. Take the profit out of it and they'd be gone. Simple as that, despite what some people say. It's $$$ motivated and nothing else.

Well, there might be the element of thumbing their noses at the establishment for them...they are immature and sick enough that it might be a motivator for some of them. But, over all, it's just plain greed on their part and on the part of those who make their nasty business possible.

Michael's idea might be workable if the subject is approached in an educational frame of reference. I still don't like the idea of using spammer stuff for the above stated reasons.

If, however, we can prevent others from being ripped off or murdered, as happened to several who responded and met their contacts, it might qualify as okay under the concept of the greater good.

To treat it too lightly is, IMHO, not the way to go. Oh, it'd be okay to use some sarcasm perhaps in response to an outrageous statement, but definitely not a light humorous approach. Humor, when lives and livelihoods are at stake, seems a bit out of place to me.

Sandi

> Hi,

> As I was emptying my two email accounts for
> spam this morning an idea came into my head?

> Has there ever been a book or magazine
> published purely with spam-emails? I know it
> sounds wacky! But think of the tons of spam
> you get each day! Amongst those there are
> "funny" ones, interesting ones,
> disgusting ones, downright criminal ones
> (well they all are), etc.

> Getting the "material" for this
> "publication" would be free...just
> open up your email inbox each day and select
> a couple.

> Is this just wacky? Or would there be a
> curiousness factor making this idea somehow
> viable?

> Any ideas and thoughts are appreciated!

> Regards,

> Fred

One thing no one has mentioned is the copyright issue. Just because someone sent you an email doesn't give you ownership and rights to publish it. Or does it? I am not a copyright expert, not even close but that is the first thing that came to my mind. Any thoughts?

> One thing no one has mentioned is the
> copyright issue. Just because someone sent
> you an email doesn't give you ownership and
> rights to publish it. Or does it? I am not a
> copyright expert, not even close but that is
> the first thing that came to my mind. Any
> thoughts?

Ken,

You're right about that one! That didn't even cross my mind. I wonder if there's anyway to get around it?

Fred

Fred:

Go with the Nigerian Scammers idea and copyright might not be an issue.

Here's why:

First, they have to prove the fake name that appears on the emails you publish is them. Then, they have to file a complaint that you are using their emails - with the fake names - to make a profit and doing so without their written permission.

The moment they do those two things, THEY are in DEEP trouble because THEY are, in effect, raising their hand and admitting to fraud - or at least attempted fraud. And they are NOT going to do that. - Unless they are really dumb.

Michael Ross