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It Takes Only One
Week of September 2, 2001
It Takes Only One...
====================
... Moron to ruin a party.
I really enjoyed sending out that latest X-news, brief as it was, as
I really enjoyed collating the software behind it. But it takes only
one moron to ruin it all.
X-news is, as you know, a subscription-only newsletter. This is
hardly rocket science to most of you, but to at least one recipient
it is more than the built-in integrated circuits can deal with. In a
move reminiscent of what happened recently to Robin Keir, someone
with incredible brain-power has
1. Written directly to us to ask to be subscribed to X-news.
2. Received X-news as a result.
3. Promptly reported us to SpamCop.
It takes only one. Note of course that the bottom of the X-news
letter contains explicit instructions how to unsubscribe. It takes
only a frikkin mouse click, but even these point and drool exercises
seem much too difficult for the NEW INTERNET GENERATION.
Honestly, I am sickened by the whole thing, so much so that we are
now seriously discussing ending this newsletter entirely. Only
registered members would receive it in the future. And the
registered members seem smart enough to realise they need only write
to unsubscribe, subscribe, or get whatever they want. They seem
several significant notches higher than the rest in the brain
department.
I can't tell you how much this hurts me, how much it hurts Syd too.
One of you out there, only one, is ruining a good thing because
whoever you are, you exercised your Gates-given right to be dumb.
Whoever you are, you owe the rest of the X-news readers a big
apology.
Rick
________________________________________________________________
Unsubscribe:
<mailto:x-news@radsoft.net?subject=unsubscribe&body=unsubscribe>
PS. See this down here? Do we need to point out that you are
receiving this newsletter because you explicitly asked for it? Are
we to not credit you with any brains at all?
Subject: Re: It Takes Only One...
From: 'Mark'
Date: Sat, 1 Sep 2001 00:48:31 -0700
You are kidding are you not? I sure hope you are by the way. Do
you keep records of those who ask? If so send SPAMCOP a copy.
But you probably did that already. How about a ping of death on the
person's computer (just semi-kidding)?
Mark
(I do feel your pain and outrage)
Subject: Re: It Takes Only One...
From: 'Benjamin'
Date: Sat, 1 Sep 2001 10:23:19 +0200
Rick
One should not get offended by the stupidity of others, especially
if you are doing the right thing. After all, you are able to show
that the newsletter is not spam. So, how has this person hurt you?
Not at all! On the other hand, he (she) did show up to be an idiot.
I think he hurt himself the most.
Keep up the good work.
Benjamin
Subject: Re: It Takes Only One...
Date: Sun, 1 Sep 2002 08:27:15 +0000 (GMT Standard Time)
To: 'Benjamin'
Hi Ben,
Thanks for writing.
But it _does_ hurt, believe me.
It hurts bad.
Maybe that's just the way I am, but it hurts.
And it can't be just me, cos Syd is upset too.
Thanks for your words.
Cheers.
Rick
Subject: Re: It Takes Only One...
From: 'Benjamin'
Date: Sat, 1 Sep 2001 14:07:44 +0200
Rick
I am most upset when I discover that I am the guilty party... or
foolish, or ill-judged and all the other kinds of mistakes I have
made from time to time.
Cheer up. Don't expect to get the approbation of everyone in the
world. Only expect the respect of the minority who are able to
function at your level.
Benjamin
Subject: Re: It Takes Only One...
From: 'Mark'
Date: Sat, 1 Sep 2001 01:42:46 -0700
Take the easy way out shutdown the newsletter and make everyone
resubscribe and check their email address prior to putting them
on the list, also make every one renew their subscription every
year or so. The ones who want to read your newsletter will and
the idiots will be trapped in their own game because if they do
not give a valid email they can not play. Save the confirmation
messages and if this happens again hammer SPAMCOP with the docs
and then it's up to them. (Sorry I was in the Navy too long).
Mark
Subject: Cannot
From: 'Carl'
Date: Sat, 01 Sep 2001 10:58:53 -0400
Mr. Rickeroo,
I just cannot believe someone would do such a stupid thing. Then
again, with the majority of stupidness that is prevalent on the net,
I can believe it and I am truly sorry it happened.
I am all in favor of continuing the newsletter, but if you must make
it by subscription only, then please count me in. It is one of the
few I truly look forward to because of the great reading and time
and effort you put into your work.
Thanks much,
Carl
Subject: Re: Cannot
Date: Sun, 1 Sep 2002 15:10:24 +0000 (GMT Standard Time)
To: 'Carl'
Hey Carl!
Hey how are you! Write more often, will ya? :))
The newsletter _is_ subscription only. One reader, another good
friend, suggested deleting the entire subscription list and then
starting all over again. But I don't think he knows how much work
that would entail. I would do it if someone would take at least
this part off my hands.
I think I know who it could have been by now. Every so often someone
writes to unsubscribe with an email address that is not and has never
been on the list. We write back that we can't take them off the list
as they've never been on.
What's most likely happened is that they have changed email
addresses and their former ISP has given them mail forwarding.
Either that or they have email aliases which they also use.
But that is the responsibility of the subscriber, not the people
who send out the newsletter. Yet they send these incredibly HTML-
and vcf- and winmail-encrusted letters saying only 'unsubscribe'
(and the letters are still a good 5KB thanks to the wonders of
LookOut and its magnificent HTML formatting - lots of <div>'s
and thousands of  's) as if it's something we can do anything
about. Which we can't. We didn't subscribe for them, and we didn't
change their email address or its routing either. It's people like
this, precisely in times like ILOVEYOU and SirCam, that make me
want to shout to them: 'Get off the net!'
Clint knew best.
Thanks so much for writing and cheeeers,
Rick
Subject: Re: It Takes Only One...
From: 'Alan'
Date: Sat, 01 Sep 2001 11:45:56 -0400
As an assistant admin for an ISP, I have seen a couple of those
stupid SpamCop reports. Not only do we give very little credibility
to these, we also recommend to our customers NOT to use SpamCop.
It's a damn shame, but unfortunately, the Industry has put thousands
of 'assheads' (to quote Pud) onto the Internet then armed them with
third-rate software... the equivalent of putting thousands of 6 year
olds onto the streets with semi-automatic weapons.
As a registered user, I look forward to continuing to receive X-News.
Hang tight, guys. Eventually these pricks will be forced off the net.
--
Alan
Subject: Re: Unsubscribe
From: 'John & Lorna Scharlacken' <johnandlorna@att.net>
Date: Sat, 1 Sep 2001 13:19:09 -0400
Apparently, due to your unfamiliarity or general ignorance of the
ATT e-mail format - unsubscribing from your annoying newsletter
has become unduly difficult (not to mention tiresome).
For your information (and please, store this somewhere in your
pompous computer-geek brain), ATT e-mail addresses can be sent or
received using either the 'att.net' or the 'worldnet.att.net'
suffix. Therefore, please unsubscribe the following e-mail
addresses johnandlorna@att.net AND johnandlorna@worldnet.att.net
from your newsletter - they are one and the same.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. After combing
the archives of my mind, I cannot recall ever having thought that
having the random ramblings of your mind (what you call 'X-news')
sent to me was a good thing.
Of course, I will give you the benefit of the doubt and presume
that you are familiar with laws governing your line of 'work'- for
I most certainly am and this will be my last transmission directed
to you alone.
Subject: Re: It Takes Only One...
From: 'Danni'
Date: Sat, 1 Sep 2001 14:24:10 -0400
You mean he was so smart he knew all that all along and yet he
couldn't be bothered to fix it himself but harassed you for weeks
instead? And he calls *you* pompous?
What a sick little man...
huggerz,
-D
Subject: Re: It Takes Only One...
Date: Sat, 1 Sep 2001 18:26:42 +0000 (GMT Standard Time)
To: 'Danni'
Yep. Lovely world, isn't it?
R.
Subject: Re: It Takes Only One...
From: 'Robin'
Date: Sat, 1 Sep 2001 08:17:00 -0700
I sympathize with you. Just one email sent to one of these spam
reporting companies can cause a giant headache trying to convince
the relevant parties that you are not a spammer. It is ironic that
the vast majority of genuine junk emails I report to their ISPs go
ignored but one unjustifiably reported by some idiot gets acted on
right away.
-Robin
Subject: Re: It Takes Only One...
From: 'Klaus'
Date: Sat, 1 Sep 2001 20:35:24 +0100
Hello Rick,
Saturday, September 01, 2001, 8:35:45 AM, you wrote:
rn> It Takes Only One...
rn> ====================
rn> ... Moron to ruin a party.
Don't let one dumb user ruin something useful like this. There's
always one, who does not know what to do or what he does. I like
this newletter and I would like to receive more x-news.
Klaus
---
The sum of the intelligence on the planet is a constant;
the population is growing.
(taken from 'fortune')
So you already knew it ...
Subject: Re: It Takes Only One...
From: 'Tom'
Date: Sat, 01 Sep 2001 17:32:50 -0400
Rick,
Just want to send you a little encouragement to keep the
newsletter coming as it always has been. Sit back, sleep on it,
and hopefully the whole thing will blow over -- and the rest of
us won't suffer due to one person's foolishness (or maliciousness,
as the case might be).
Regards,
Tom
Subject: Re: It Takes Only One...
Date: Sun, 1 Sep 2002 21:45:25 +0000 (GMT Standard Time)
To: 'Tom'
Geez Tom, Thanks. It really feels good. Thanks for writing like
that. It's been a heck of a day. Really. You guys wanting something
we can offer means the world to me.
Cheers and all the best,
Rickster
Subject: Re: It Takes Only One...
Date: Sat, 01 Sep 2001 16:17:33 -0700
From: 'Jeff'
How do I become a member to keep receiving this excellent
newsletter?
Jeff
Subject: RE: It Takes Only One...
Date: Tue, 04 Sep 2001 12:09:43 -0700
From: 'Sandy'
I enjoy and find your newsletters valuable.
Not familiar with the legal or 'street' weight of SpamCop but
forwarding them this and a record of the short-fused person's
sign-up should cover your good-name.
Take Heart.
Thanks and Cheers !!
Sandy
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space
Subject: RE: It Takes Only One...
Date: Tue, 4 Sep 2001 13:34:24 -0400
From: 'Dave'
Rick,
I was sorry to hear about the SpamCop nonsense - it's too bad
you can't count on more common sense. Hang in there! I know I
speak for a lot of others when I say we appreciate what you go
through to bring us the quality product and newsletter that you
provide.
Best regards!
Dave
Subject: Re: It Takes Only One...
Date: Fri, 7 Sep 2001 10:53:18 -0400
From: 'Jerome'
I thoroughly enjoy your newsletters and admire your efforts. My
background is computer science but I have yet to be a developer.
Somehow I got off on a hardware track or something. Anyway, if I
ever do program I hope I can learn to code even a fraction as well
as you guys do. It didn't shock me to hear about someone going irate
over the newsletter. Until recently I worked for RoadRunner Tier3
tech support. It never ceases to amaze me what the average user
will blame on you. If I received a commission for every Microsoft
problem we received the blame for and had to fix... well I wouldn't
be driving a Ford truck.
Keep up the good work!
Jerome
Subject: Re: It Takes Only One...
Date: Sat, 08 Sep 2001 17:48:25 -0400
From: 'Robert'
Don't let one bad apple spoil your day. Put things into
perspective, and you will realize that, hey, freedom means that
we really have to allow idiots to exist, no matter how much pain
they cause us. Just take a deep breath and keep on doing the good
work.
Thanks for your efforts.
Bob
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