Legal Question in Technology Law in Illinois

Re: ''spamming'' on newsgroups provided by your own ISP

Without more information, it is difficult to answer your question.

It appears that you are referring to regular Internet newsgroups, access to which are merely provided to you by your ISP. Many different ISP's will provide access to these newsgroups which are carried internationally. Postings to these groups usually are considered spam if the message does not pertain to the topic discussed in the group, or if it violates the rules of that particular group for commercial-themed messages to be posted. If these are actually newsgroups provided by your ISP exclusively, there could be similar restrictions on the subject matter as well. Without more information, it is difficult to answer your question more completely.

If you would like a more detailed answer, I will be happy to chat with you if you are located in Illinois. Please email me if that interests you.

Thanks,

Kevin Thompson

Re: ''spamming'' on newsgroups provided by your own ISP

I agree with the prior post. Spam via a newsgroup is still spam. I know I hate receiving spam via a listserv or newsgroup even worse than receiving it via out-of-the-blue email. There are numerous anti-spamming laws and regulations. I don't think you should do it. Be careful, you are on thin ice and thin skins when you spam newsgroups. This is a sensitive topic and there are many who would want to punish you for commercializing a non-commercial newsgroup.