Spam has gotten an everyday annoyance that we've got to live with. Spam filters do help a lot, but some spam still gets through. Most spam I receive is quite anonymous, sent from faked addresses. But there is some 'official' spam as well, coming from companies where you would think they wouldn't allow themself spamming. This article is dedicated to blaming those by giving them a Spam Award, and hoping that the public blame will move them to rethink their spamming.

December 2003 Spam Award: Spam King Senator John Edwards

Spam seems to be coming from the highest places. About three months ago, someone subscribed me to about two thousand mailing lists to sabotage our support inboxes. After filtering and bouncing back spam with MailWasher and Mozilla, nearly everything has gone. What is still left is a newsletter from Senator John Edwards. I tried bouncing their mails back as undeliverable, unsubscribing, mailing the support addresses there... everything I could imagine. But they don't care and spam me every other week telling me about U.S. politics. Dear Edwards for President, Inc., I live in Germany, so what use do I have of this newsletter you don't stop sending me, no matter what I try? Do you think that by using harassing spam and violating laws by doing that you'll win more votes? Please take me off your mailing list, I don't need it!

November 2003 Spam Award: MyCorporation.com

Some nice guy did subscribe 166 email addresses at @security.kolla.de to the MyCorporation.com newsletter. MyCorporation lists about six contact email addresses, and I've written to each one of them about two dozen times requesting that those 166 email addresses be taken of the mailing list. No response at all. I have no idea how they do businness as all their email addresses seem to be dead. Anyway, they earn my November Spam Award as their tons of MBs of spam mails are really upsetting me each time.