Update on the Spamwriters Strike
By now, you have probably heard of the Spamwriters strike which started on Tuesday, Nov. 6 at 12:01 am. At this point, you are probably wondering how this strike will affect you. Here is a F.A.Q. about what's going on.
Why are the spamwriters going on strike?
As the internet continues to expand, more avenues for advertisement have become available to the Canadian drug importers, reproductive organ enhancers and online diploma services, etc... The Spamwriters have been composing the messages that you get in your email inbox daily. However, the spamwriters are only compensated for the work going into writing the advertisements.
As the agreement stands today between the Guild of American Spammers and the product sellers (the Mercantile Association of Supplement Distributors, Unregulated Financial Consultants, Home-based Employers and Adult-oriented Services, or MASDUFCHEAS), the G.A.S. members would not receive residuals from the advertisements placed on newer types of websites. When the current union contract was written in 1996, the spamwriters were only paid when their ads were sent out in unsolicited bulk emails, Usenet and message boards, as these were the existing advertising methods of the time. Since then, new spamming technologies have emerged, such as SPIM, Splogging, Spamdexing and Spam used in Social Networking sites such as MySpace. The Spamwriters do not get paid whenever their spam messages are reproduced using the new methodologies.
Why should I support the Spamwriters?
Common sense would dictate that Spamwriters make a lot of money for doing very little work. Keep in mind, the Spamwriters only make money when they write the advertisements. Its the members of MASDUFCHEAS that make the money when you buy the products. Most spamwriters do not make very good money. In fact, you may have noticed that most spamwriters cannot even afford to purchase a spell-checker for their messages.
The Spamwriters might briefly make a lot of money, but then they need that money they make to live on for several years. For instance, the spamwriters that made the advertisements for Fen-Phen made a lot of money when this drug first became widely available, but as its popularity subsided, they were forced to live off the income they made during the more profitable time. If the spamwriters can make money off the residuals of the newer spamming technologies, they have more money to survive between their lucrative periods.
Will I continue to receive spam during the strike?
Yes, to an extent. Any spam message that was written before the strike can continue to be sent out in unwanted bulk. However, no new spam can be written until the strike is resolved. At first, it will be difficult to notice because you will keep receiving the same messages (or "reruns") you have always received. However, when new products become available, such as the much anticipated "North Beach Diet" from Seattle, you will not see spam for these products in your email's junk folder until the strike is over.
How can I support the Spamwriters?
The first thing you can do to show your solidarity with us is display this logo on your website:
The next thing you can do is refrain from making any purchases from any affiliated member of MASDUFCHEAS until the strike is over.
Will I continue to get Nigerian letters and Other Scams during the strike?
Yes and no. There are several types of Fraudulent offers that you get in email, such as Nigerian letters, winning lottery announcements, Ponzi schemes, and job offers from Chinese manufacturing companies. The authors of these emails are not Spamwriters, but instead are members of the Pooled Union of Shysters (or P.U.S.). Although G.A.S. and P.U.S. are separate organizations, they share similar ideals and goals. (Both groups, for instance, want all of your money.) Many of the P.U.S. are not crossing the G.A.S. picket lines and are in fact joining with them. They realize that whatever contract resolution befalls G.A.S. will eventually be negotiated into the renewed P.U.S. contract when it expires in 2009.
Can you provide examples of some of the excellent craftsmanship that will be suspended during the Spamwriter strike?
Sure. Start reading here.
Why are the spamwriters going on strike?
As the internet continues to expand, more avenues for advertisement have become available to the Canadian drug importers, reproductive organ enhancers and online diploma services, etc... The Spamwriters have been composing the messages that you get in your email inbox daily. However, the spamwriters are only compensated for the work going into writing the advertisements.
As the agreement stands today between the Guild of American Spammers and the product sellers (the Mercantile Association of Supplement Distributors, Unregulated Financial Consultants, Home-based Employers and Adult-oriented Services, or MASDUFCHEAS), the G.A.S. members would not receive residuals from the advertisements placed on newer types of websites. When the current union contract was written in 1996, the spamwriters were only paid when their ads were sent out in unsolicited bulk emails, Usenet and message boards, as these were the existing advertising methods of the time. Since then, new spamming technologies have emerged, such as SPIM, Splogging, Spamdexing and Spam used in Social Networking sites such as MySpace. The Spamwriters do not get paid whenever their spam messages are reproduced using the new methodologies.
Why should I support the Spamwriters?
Common sense would dictate that Spamwriters make a lot of money for doing very little work. Keep in mind, the Spamwriters only make money when they write the advertisements. Its the members of MASDUFCHEAS that make the money when you buy the products. Most spamwriters do not make very good money. In fact, you may have noticed that most spamwriters cannot even afford to purchase a spell-checker for their messages.
The Spamwriters might briefly make a lot of money, but then they need that money they make to live on for several years. For instance, the spamwriters that made the advertisements for Fen-Phen made a lot of money when this drug first became widely available, but as its popularity subsided, they were forced to live off the income they made during the more profitable time. If the spamwriters can make money off the residuals of the newer spamming technologies, they have more money to survive between their lucrative periods.
Will I continue to receive spam during the strike?
Yes, to an extent. Any spam message that was written before the strike can continue to be sent out in unwanted bulk. However, no new spam can be written until the strike is resolved. At first, it will be difficult to notice because you will keep receiving the same messages (or "reruns") you have always received. However, when new products become available, such as the much anticipated "North Beach Diet" from Seattle, you will not see spam for these products in your email's junk folder until the strike is over.
How can I support the Spamwriters?
The first thing you can do to show your solidarity with us is display this logo on your website:
The next thing you can do is refrain from making any purchases from any affiliated member of MASDUFCHEAS until the strike is over.
Will I continue to get Nigerian letters and Other Scams during the strike?
Yes and no. There are several types of Fraudulent offers that you get in email, such as Nigerian letters, winning lottery announcements, Ponzi schemes, and job offers from Chinese manufacturing companies. The authors of these emails are not Spamwriters, but instead are members of the Pooled Union of Shysters (or P.U.S.). Although G.A.S. and P.U.S. are separate organizations, they share similar ideals and goals. (Both groups, for instance, want all of your money.) Many of the P.U.S. are not crossing the G.A.S. picket lines and are in fact joining with them. They realize that whatever contract resolution befalls G.A.S. will eventually be negotiated into the renewed P.U.S. contract when it expires in 2009.
Can you provide examples of some of the excellent craftsmanship that will be suspended during the Spamwriter strike?
Sure. Start reading here.
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posted by BrentKMoore | 2:25 PM
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