Facts About Email Bombing

(in which you send excessive unwanted email to someone)

1. Don't do it! Don't let anyone use your machine who might do it!

2. It is hardly new, but we're receiving increasing complaints about it.

3. It is a waste of shared resources and it is harassment; it is a violation of the Georgia Tech Computer and Network Usage Policy; and it can result in disciplinary action including loss of computing and networking privileges.

4. We have had cases in which someone OTHER than the intended victim was severely impacted. One company had a name similar to a "spam" company but they were totally unrelated to them and their activities--they said they nearly lost a $26 million contract because their communications were out. Another was an intermediate "store and forward" service provider--they called the FBI (and the FBI does follow up on these things now).

5. Providers are now installing "anti-spam" technology which also acts as "anti-bomb" technology. For example, email that does not contain a valid sender address may be bounced back to YOUR service provider. The postmaster here really hates it when you end up bombing him!