<VV> eBay eSpy NO CORVAIR (was: possible virus)

[Robert Marlow]

Mark Wendal wrote:

[re: virus masquerading as an eBay link]

> I wonder if it nabs E-mails off E-bay. <

Many of you may have seen the news item this past week about Google's new
e-mail service, and the controversy surrounding Google's plan to run an
automated scan on all messages for keywords in the content.  Google would
then target advertising based on that info.  The controversy stems from
privacy issues.

However, while the news portrays Google's plan as a new evil, I am
convinced that such automated scanning is already widespread.  Reason?  I
have received spam in recent weeks where the subject line of the spam
contains a keyword too obscure to have been randomly generated.  I
corresponded with Larry Claypool about a Peugeot that we each viewed on
eBay, and soon afterwards I received spam with "Peugeot" in the subject
line.  I merely viewed the Hillman Imp currently on eBay -- I sent no
e-mails -- and the next day I received spam with the word "Imp" in the
subject line.

Somebody's already scanning this stuff.  Is it Cablevision, my ISP?  Is it
eBay?  Is it another party surfing eBay traffic?  I don't know, but I'm
feeling more charitable toward Google's plan, because Google's plan appears
to be not as groundbreaking as first thought.

--Bob

Robert W. Marlow
nortechcorp@optonline.net