"David Nebenzahl" wrote in message
s.com...
Regarding spam, I posted earlier that complaining to Google is futile in
trying to shut down spammers, since there is a threshold number of
complaints that must be submitted before Google will take such action.

I'm proposing that we might start a project here to see if we can raise
enough support within this group to submit enough complaints to see an
effect (i.e., see the spammers shut down). To that end, I'd like to take a
poll here to see how many people would be willing to do this--report spam
messages in this newsgroup to Google. Please reply to this thread.

My guess is that it would require at least 20 or so complaints about a
particular spammer before they (Google) seriously considered taking
action. I'm willing to be convinced that this number is actually higher or
lower; it's just my seat-of-the-pants guess.

So once we agree on what this threshold number might be, my suggestion is
that we target the spammers carefully. Instead of going after all of them,
pick one--say, the worst current one--and target that particular one. Then
we can see if our complaints had any effect.

Remember, this will only work if we can muster that minimum number of
people willing to complain. I'm ready to do so if enough of us "sign up".
So let's hear from y'all.

If someone wants to lead this effort, please speak up. I actually don't
want to be that leader ...

well, as I've already indicated, I am one of those who complain without fail
each and every time. I treat these as I do dandelions and other noxious
weeds - just have to keep after them before they take over the place. A
passive stance vis a vis spam, as with weeds, results in just more of the
same. So I go after all of them each and every time.

By the way...have you noticed that the cat furniture spam has not been
hereabouts lately?