Hard Light Productions Forums

Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: aldo_14 on March 31, 2005, 03:51:31 pm

Title: hahahahahaha ('spam king' files for bankruptcy)
Post by: aldo_14 on March 31, 2005, 03:51:31 pm

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/03/31/spam_king_bankrupt/

[q]The received wisdom in libertarian circles is that email anti-spam laws don't work, so they're not worth trying. In fact, they're working so well that the notorious 'Spam King' Scott Richter has filed for bankruptcy.

Last Friday, Richter's OptInRealBig.com filed for bankruptcy, brought to the brink by lawsuits from New York Attorney General and consumer champion Eliot Spitzer and Microsoft. OptInRealBig.com claimed assets of less than $10 million and liabilities of over $50 million thanks to the legal onslaught from Redmond, and Spitzer the Blitzer, which began in December 2003. Both sued under local state antispam laws. Although Richter settled with the NY AG's office last year, he says that Microsoft's claims top $19 million, and have forced him into insolvency.

It's a rare example of Microsoft deploying its legal muscle to socially beneficial ends.[/q]

Title: hahahahahaha ('spam king' files for bankruptcy)
Post by: Flipside on March 31, 2005, 04:07:30 pm

You know, it's hard work for such an oily geek without a sense of humour, who produces a product that can drive me nuts at times, bit Bill Gates is very slowly rising in my books.

I'd even mention the charity donations, but I'm heard speculation that they are not so much charitable as non tax-deductable ;)

Title: hahahahahaha ('spam king' files for bankruptcy)
Post by: kode on March 31, 2005, 04:12:10 pm

Quote

Originally posted by Flipside
I'd even mention the charity donations, but I'm heard speculation that they are not so much charitable as non tax-deductable ;)

well, seeing as he plans to give away most of his fortune in his life-time...

Title: hahahahahaha ('spam king' files for bankruptcy)
Post by: Flipside on March 31, 2005, 04:27:04 pm

As I said, I've heard Speculation, if it's not true, then good on him, if it is true then not so good on him, I'm still glad to see him fighting Spam :D

Title: hahahahahaha ('spam king' files for bankruptcy)
Post by: karajorma on March 31, 2005, 04:39:12 pm

Well to be honest thanks to the rise of the bot net a large percentage of it is his fault (indirectly at least).

But yeah. I'm glad too. :)

Title: hahahahahaha ('spam king' files for bankruptcy)
Post by: Flipside on March 31, 2005, 04:48:07 pm

I suppose my main problem is that, by the time they reached XP, they should have realised how devious and inventive people are. I can forgive '95 and even '98 to a degree, after all, you can't expect a corporation of, say, 2000 programmers to outthink a quasi-community (which still sounds way too unified) of several hundreds times that number, but XP tries to be too helpful, and it was that 'helpfulness' that caused some of the larger security holes. XP wasn't what it could have been.

I suppose what needs to be done is for Windows to backpedal, and stop trying to be all singing/all dancing, and just to be a nice quiet operating system being inconspicious in the background, and not doing anything it's not being asked to do.

Title: hahahahahaha ('spam king' files for bankruptcy)
Post by: Nuke on April 01, 2005, 02:37:24 am

wtf is everyone speaking in irish

Title: hahahahahaha ('spam king' files for bankruptcy)
Post by: Carl on April 01, 2005, 03:55:46 am

nay. It be pirate, says I.

Title: hahahahahaha ('spam king' files for bankruptcy)
Post by: Zarax on April 01, 2005, 05:00:53 am

Microsoft has radically changed it's policies since SP2...
I really hope they will address some other issues in the future and i'm moderately optimistic as there are some great guys there.