BS: Email Nonsense Gems

Subject: BS: Email Nonsense Gems
From: wysiwyg
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 09:16 AM

You know-- the emails whose message text is a complete hash of thought, like randomly-selected words?

Here's an excerpt from the AM mail:
Perhaps it doesnt understand English, thought Alice; I a statelier mansion, and the steeples and brick towers of churches, mouse-a mouse-O mouse. The Mouse looked at her rather your shoes and stockings for you now, dears?

Kinda like our mangled lyrics thread, innit?

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Email Nonsense Gems
From: JennyO
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 10:06 AM

Yeah, I get those.

It chanced the girl turned suddenly about, so that I saw her face for follows necessarily that he will forthwith definitely know that also the syllables join, but each is separate and distinct from the rest. wings, but qua winged creature.

If, then, the statement is made with reference to quality only, gives to that category its distinctive The most distinctive mark of quantity is that equality and Quantities consist either of parts which bear a relative position the case of which relation to something is a necessary condition of which it is the double.

Subject: RE: BS: Email Nonsense Gems
From: Scoville
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 10:16 AM

I get this kind of garbage on my work email a couple of times a week. My SPAM is definitely on crack.

This one reminds me of a bad Dylan impression or Townes on a down-swing:

"Mutley, you snickering, floppy eared hound. Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah... I might jump an open drawbridge, or Tarzan from a vine. 'Cause I'm the unknown stuntman that makes Eastwood look so fine. I might jump an open drawbridge, or Tarzan from a vine. 'Cause I'm the unknown stuntman that makes Eastwood look so fine. Rollin' down to Dallas, who's providin' my palace, off to New Orleans or who knows where. McKay and his best friend Bear. Do-do-do-do, Cities of Gold. Maybe tomorrow, I'll want to settle down, Until tomorrow, I'll just keep moving on. New dreams and better scenes, and best of all I don't pay property tax. Feel the magic, hear the roar, Thundercats are loose. One for all and all for one, it's a pretty story. wishing for The Cities of Gold. Birds taught me to sing, when they took me to their king, first I had to fly, in the sky so high so high, so high so high so high, so - if you want to sing this way, think of what you'd l"

Subject: RE: BS: Email Nonsense Gems
From: Bagpuss
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 11:17 AM

But can you name all the kids tv programmes that lot came from? Starting at the end: Barnaby the Bear, Mysterious Cities of Gold, Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds, Thundercats (obviously)...

Subject: RE: BS: Email Nonsense Gems
From: wysiwyg
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 11:25 AM

Cool!

I DO have a life, and I don't read them ALL or all of ANY of them, but they are nice brain-vacation material from time to time.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Email Nonsense Gems
From: Scoville
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 11:30 AM

Thundercats is the only one of those with which I am at all familiar. Never heard of the rest.

And no, I don't read all my SPAM, either.

Subject: RE: BS: Email Nonsense Gems
From: Alec
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 11:37 AM

In {partial) answer to Bagpuss's challenge I recognise "The adventures of Dastardly & Mutley" & "B.J. & The Bear" & "The Fall Guy" So how cultured am I?

Subject: RE: BS: Email Nonsense Gems
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 06:43 PM

There's a reason for this nonsense, though. Apparently it fools spam filters that scan content.

Subject: RE: BS: Email Nonsense Gems
From: Bill D
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 07:07 PM

...and I gather that there is a program which actually composes those things out of random dips into text files, so that there is 'almost' some form to them.

)I have gotten almost none in the last year, due to careful filtering and my ISP doing some fancy tricks on them before they reach me......I don't actually let them get TO my PC, anyway....I read 'em online and delete the garbage.

Subject: RE: BS: Email Nonsense Gems
From: wysiwyg
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 07:54 PM

Oh yeah, I never REPLY to them-- that's death.....

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Email Nonsense Gems
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 09:00 PM

See also The Wisdom Inherent in Spam

Subject: RE: BS: Email Nonsense Gems
From: Gizmo
Date: 19 Jan 07 - 12:44 PM

In answer to bagpuss, I found all the ones you mentioned plus The littlest hobo - I loved that song, and the Dogtanian one.

On another note, my brother managed to download every episode of mysterious cities of gold, in an effort to regress. It did just end. There was no true ending to it!

I also gave up reasing the spam stories - they made my brain hurt. Now I just delete, delete, and delete.

Subject: RE: BS: Email Nonsense Gems
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 19 Jan 07 - 01:36 PM

A few might wonder where all these little gems come from.

A brief, and non-technical explanation may be found at Red Tape Chronicles

What you are seeing is refered to as "Word Salad." The use and reasons for it are outlined in the article.

In many cases, merely opening the email is sufficient to confirm to the sender that your email address is a "working address" and assures that you will receive more of the same, which certainly explains why some of you are getting a lot of it.

I generally attempt to delete or move to bulk mail before anything that might contain crap of this kind finishes downloading. As a result I see very little of this kind of stuff, thus far. Those of you who have read them probably are stuck with receiving lots more of them, and have contributed your little part to sustaining the proliferation of spam on the internet.

Sorry, but I don't find watching criminals do their thing hilarious.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Email Nonsense Gems
From: wysiwyg
Date: 19 Jan 07 - 02:04 PM

If it's opened in text-only mode, and I don't let my email send read-receipts, how does opening the message confirm to the sender that it's a live address? I didn't see anything about that, in the article you linked.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Email Nonsense Gems
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 19 Jan 07 - 04:14 PM

WYS -

The specific mention in the Red Tape article was:

"Spotting spam before you open it is a plus -- sometimes spam messages contain small images that report back to the sender as soon as a message is opened, teaching the spammer that your e-mail address is valid. More spam is sure to follow."

This is only one of several methods used - the article is not written by a tech person.

While you may, for now, be relatively safe using text-only mode, discussions of the kind in this thread can only contribute to foolish behaviour by the many others who are not so careful. While I applaud your methods, the attitude that this is something to joke about is not laudable in any way that I can see. (MPO)

You SHOULD NOT HAVE TO USE TEXT-ONLY for your email, since that deprives you of the freedom to use many good features you should be available for you to use without fear. Unfortunately the prevalence of spam, and malware of other kinds, have made you choose to do so.

Since there are known sources, and known reasons and methods of generating the "GARBAGE" people are so enthusiastically quoting here, this thread, and the others like it, are less interesting (to me - but then I'm a little odd) than a good argument about whether the pattern of coffee spit I sprayed on my screen at a good joke is better than your herbal tea pattern.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Email Nonsense Gems
From: wysiwyg
Date: 19 Jan 07 - 05:22 PM

For as long as I can remember, people I respect have advised text-only. I don't really miss the other features and I certainly don't miss receiving messages in odd colors and fonts that hurt my eyes sent by people who think email is the best place to get cute with communications. Do I appreciate receiving spam? Of course not, and I'm glad Norton and my ISP knock most of it out-- I get a fraction of what others report getting on a regular basis.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Email Nonsense Gems
From: Little Hawk
Date: 19 Jan 07 - 05:57 PM

Me too, but I figured it was because of the disappearing chin and lack of personal grooming.... ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Email Nonsense Gems
From: wysiwyg
Date: 19 Jan 07 - 06:00 PM

Chongo getting yours?

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Email Nonsense Gems
From: John O'L
Date: 19 Jan 07 - 06:14 PM

Hmmm. You've opened up a can of worms now John.
Percolated, plunged or instant? I only drink chamomile and then only late at night when I'm less susceptible to the kind of joke that might produce a high-resolution spray on the screen, but I'm tempted to take up the challenge anyway.

Did you hear the one about a guy who walks into a bar...?

Subject: RE: BS: Email Nonsense Gems
From: Little Hawk
Date: 19 Jan 07 - 06:37 PM

Probably. He has to be watched like a hawk, Susan. His lust knows no bounds.

Subject: RE: BS: Email Nonsense Gems
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 19 Jan 07 - 06:51 PM

John O'L -

After we compare materials, methods, and patterns, we can discuss cleaning methods, cleansers, and screen-wipes. One of my kids used my computer a while back and I'm still trying to get the Wyte-Out® off the screen.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Email Nonsense Gems
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 19 Jan 07 - 07:29 PM

""Spotting spam before you open it is a plus -- sometimes spam messages contain small images that report back to the sender as soon as a message is opened, teaching the spammer that your e-mail address is valid. More spam is sure to follow.""

I was told MailWasher was supposed to avoid this by NOT dnlding the graphics, thereby NOT sennding back the reports.

Of course, like all fools, I believe only the last thing I hear on a subject...

Subject: RE: BS: Email Nonsense Gems
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 19 Jan 07 - 07:57 PM

A slight concern is that in the previous thread on this subject several people apparently were encouraged to go back and "look for" some of this stuff. I think it's the "encouraging bad habits" in those ill-equipped to deal with the results that I find most annoying here.

When the local rednecks play a game of stick-ball on the freeway, they usually are reasonably careful not to leave the implements of the game handy for the kids to try to emulate them. The excuse that "I'm a grown up and can do it safely" doesn't work too well when there are "little ones" watching.

Of course, I'm not particularly fond of (most) rap music(?) and share W.C. Fields' opinion(s) of small children (for the most part); but they both seem to be around just about everywhere too.

Some forms of life will survive, ... for a while ... even if it's too late for civilized communities of persons to worry about each other.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Email Nonsense Gems
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 19 Jan 07 - 08:29 PM

Well put John

I wasn't LOOKING for this stuff, I was at the time getting about 100+ spams a day, and a few gems just popped out of MailWasher...

You might notice from that thread that I haven't contributed for quite a while - it just ended up hurting my head too much (apart from wasting time!), and now I only get 3-4 spams a day - my ISP has FINALLY set up a real spam killer setup... The worst source is the Yahoo group ones sent to the group-owner! I wish that Yahoo would set up an option to just delete anything they identify as 'SPAM' instead of forwarding it on!

I now on forward most spam to ACMA (for Aussies only) - http://submit.spam.acma.gov.au/acma_submit.cgi
most of the stuff, and most especially all and any 'Lolitas' crap (but then one can't be sure whether it is 'official fishing' these days!).

Subject: RE: BS: Email Nonsense Gems
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 19 Jan 07 - 09:24 PM

A most recent warning is about a "news bulletin" circulating in the UK, purporting to be a report on deaths and disasters associated with the recent weather quirks¹. The "news bulletin" email, if opened, deposits a "new" worm that does little except open a port to allow your machine to contact a site that downloads the actual malware. They are reporting very high rates of infection in the UK and adjacent areas, but are still trying to figure out exactly what kinds of malware the "home site" is installing when E.T. calls home.

The "impressive" thing is that this subject specific tailored phish appeared within a very few days of events that could not reasonably have been predicted much in advance.

¹ I'm aware that perhaps "quirk in the weather" doesn't quite do justice of some of what's been going on there. We're waiting for the next blasts here too.

John