Help Stop Spam with PHP & ASP

[Damien_B]

Help Stop Spam with PHP & ASP

If we made a script that generated random (fake) email addresses, we could clog up spammers databases and eventually clog it up so much that only 1% of the email addresses are real.

Such a script has already been written by a named M. Smith with ASP:

<%
dim myends(7)
dim fname,sname,cname,endit,co
randomize()

for t=1 to 30
lettersin1stname=int((rnd * 8) + 1)
lettersin2ndname=int((rnd * 8) + 1)
lettersincomp=int((rnd * 8) + 1)

fname=""
sname=""
cname=""
endit =""
for co=1 to lettersin1stname
fname=fname & chr((int(rnd *26)+1)+ 96)
next

for co=1 to lettersin2ndname
sname=sname & chr((int(rnd *26)+1 )+ 96)
next

for co=1 to lettersincomp
cname=cname & chr((int(rnd *26)+1 )+ 96)
next

myends(1)=".com"
myends(2)=".net"
myends(3)=".org"
myends(4)=".org.uk"
myends(5)=".co.uk"
myends(6)=".gov"
myends(7)=".ac"

q=int((rnd*7)+1)
endit=myends(q)


fulladdres=fname & "." & sname & "@" & cname & endit

response.write("<a href=""mailto:" & fulladdres & """>" & fulladdres & "</a><br>")


next

for co=1 to lettersincomp
cname=cname & chr((int(rnd *26)+1 )+ 96)
next

%>
<br><br>
<a href="scontacts.asp?contacts=<%=cname%>">Get some more addresses</a>

View this script in action!

So, if we all put this on our own websites, email bots would get a whole bunch of fake emails. The only problem is that we need somebody to convert the ASP to PHP so that people without ASP support can do the same thing. I cannot do this because I am inexperienced with PHP (I'm a noobie). Any takers for this?

Now please, spam is a broad topic, so try to stay on-topic with this! Would like to hear your thoughts on this. 😃

[BuzzLY]

I have a problem with fighting Spam with Spam. It's not the right answer. While our motives and intentions might be altruistic, there is a possibility, however slight, that such a function might return some legitimate email addresses. If it does, that person gets spam, and has NO idea why. What if that address happens to be a 12 year old girl, receiving email about viagra and penis enlargement?

No, I'm sorry, but I just don't think this is the answer. Spam services will just find some way of fighting it, and we would just have more problems on our hands.

The way to stop spam, if it's to be done by us individual users, is to only use your email address for "legitimate" sites that you trust. Don't put your email address out there for spiders to pick up. Don't ever respond to spam, even to "remove me from your email list." All that does is confirm your email address. Don't "send this email to 10 friends," and discourage any family or friend that sends stuff to you.

I'm not sure such a script is going to help at all, and if anything, a long script that generates a bunch of fake emails is just going to make my pages take longer to load.

[laserlight]

For hack value I translated it to PHP.

However, I think that such a script will not help much, and really is a waste of bandwidth.

[Damien_B]

there is a possibility, however slight, that such a function might return some legitimate email addresses

I had the same thoughts when I heard of the idea. I had a look at the emails that it was generating and the chances of one being real is less than winning the lottery! It's EXTREMEMLY MINOR POSSIBILITY that a real email address will be generated.

Take a look for yourself. First, there is dsdwwsd.wrfsff. Then there is @fdfwfdsfgd.dsojdos and there is a choice of .com, .gov, .edu, etc. The chances are so very minimal.

However, I do feel sorry for Mr Yjnuzyyi Hngpvtwy of xxtlxike.ac, but not very much. 😃

[Jeb_]

Whilst it's a novel idea, I still have to agree with Buzzly. I don't care how small the risk is, but it's still there. That's what makes me nervous.

Stopping spam is relatively simple: just obfuscate your e-mail address in the event you ever post it, tell people how to remove the obfuscation - or better yet, don't post it at all. I can't count the number of e-mail accounts I've had to ditch because I got spam e-mail.

Sadly, I don't think we'll ever stop spam until we observe some basic rules of giving out e-mail addresses across the Internet. Fighting spam starts with the Internet users.

[Weedpacket]

Originally posted by Jeb.
Sadly, I don't think we'll ever stop spam until we observe some basic rules of giving out e-mail addresses across the Internet. Fighting spam starts with the Internet users.

I don't think we'll ever stop spam until spamming is made illegal. Unfortunately the U.S. at least (where virtually all the spam originates from) is proving very reluctant (due to the lobbying power of its marketing associations) to take any action.