Given the attacks and scale of attacks, such as 300+ broken into servers simultaneously spewing the same spam (we've experienced this) recently described here, I think it would be very naive to shrug it all off as mere obnoxiousness. The attack on the WTC not only took out the WTC, it essentially has taken out our airline industry. Many bombings and similar have been targetted at tourist locations in countries sensitive to tourist income. This enemy is very savvy about economics. Their general terrorist technique is to scare or discourage the general populace out from under some economic base. It's nearly impossible to believe they haven't figured out that poisoning the internet with spam, worms, viruses etc will drive the public away, as it has. One of our worst problems has been we (i.e., the targets) have been relatively slow to "get it" and prefer to dismiss attacks as random events by sociopaths rather than concerted efforts by true and viable enemies. Final food for thought: Just because spam actually seems to advertise something doesn't prove it's innocent. Remember that Al Qaida was funding millions of dollars per month via discount coupon fraud in the US. Just because they were real coupons for real and innocent looking products didn't mean there wasn't evil afoot. How much is really known about the spammers? That they may be roping in dopes to pay them doesn't particularly exonerate them in my mind. In fact, it would tend to fit their MO (i.e., don't just wreck things, try to make some money wrecking things!) -- -Barry Shein Software Tool & Die | bzs@TheWorld.com | http://www.TheWorld.com Purveyors to the Trade | Voice: 617-739-0202 | Login: 617-739-WRLD The World | Public Access Internet | Since 1989 *oo*