Spam gripe-why do RW spammers assume everyone on their list

[liveoaktx]

believes the same way without checking first? How many times have I gotten a polit email that starts out with "This is great, of COURSE you agree with it", or in the case of one I got a bit ago "This will strike a cord (sic) with everyone". The man doesn't know me very well but includes me in his list of 50 other people who get an email that says, boiled down "Love it or leave it". One main gist of this email is about how others are shoving their views down their throats and the silent majority has spoken up about moral values.

Well, talk about shoving views down someone's throat. If using spam to send unsolicited political tripe to people without finding out first if the recipient shares your opinion isn't pushing viewpoints, then WTF is?

Yes, I wrote him back and included this quote from Thomas Jefferson.

"God... has formed us moral agents... that we may promote the happiness of those with whom He has placed us in society, by acting honestly towards all, benevolently to those who fall within our way, respecting sacredly their rights, bodily and mental, and cherishing especially their freedom of conscience, as we value our own.

[Dem Agog]

1. My brother is blacklisted from sending mail to my domain...

for this very reason.

I don't even write them back. I just blacklist them.

[Cerridwen]

2. Report them to their ISP for spam. - n/t

[ReadTomPaine]

3. They don't assume that. It's intimidation and taunting they are doing also

[louis-t]

4. Anyone who can't spell 'chord'

is not going to understand the Jefferson quote.

[ClassWarrior]

5. That's okay, use it for opposition research.

Or click "reply all" and demand links, sources, and other proof, and state quite clearly for all to read that you will regard the item of spam in question as irresponsible speculation until you have such proof. Then, a week later when no proof is forthcoming, hit "reply all" again and ask whether or not the sender has found the proof yet. You'll never get another.

NGU.

[asthmaticeog]

6. Here's why they might assume that everyone agrees with them:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_consensus_effect

[KarenS]

7. Not Spam ~ My Sister

kept sending me (and others) stuff during the run-up to the war in Iraq,,,, I would just quietly delete it & not respond until one day when I'd had enough I responded in an extemely matter-of-fact fashion, basically telling her to "cut it out" or we could end our relationship,,,, her response was "then I won't send you anymore political stuff" I guess I never thought of being anti-War as political ~ imo it's a humanitarian issue !!! But she has been true to her word ~ so we are still sisters.

[sangh0]

8. "Reply ALL" is your friend

and a great way to use their email lists against them. Educate everyone on that list.

[liveoaktx]

9. Oh yeah, I ALWAYS reply all-I figure everyone gets to know what

I think.

I got one shortly before the election that was about how everyone could agree with whatever the heck it was and it was an indirect slam on Kerry. I told the guy (and all the cc list) that I had already voted for Kerry, that I believed he is the best person to lead this country, etc. Never heard back from him.