Matt Yglesias

23 Responses to “Dear Russian Spammers”

1. McGeorge Bundy Says:
   October 1st, 2008 at 2:06 pm

   Sorry.

2. RoboticGhost Says:
   October 1st, 2008 at 2:09 pm

   I am an IT guy who happens to speak Russian so I can provide some insight. My CFO gets a ton of Russian spam. In his case, its not pills, porn, or mortgages being advertised, but seminars and books about getting along better with co-workers. Strangest spam I’ve ever seen in any language; and as a mail administrator, I’ve seen more than my fair share of spam.

   Its worth noting here that the vast majority of spam-producing malware comes from Eastern Europe and Russia. Its big business for a lot of criminal groups.

3. KCinDC Says:
   October 1st, 2008 at 2:17 pm

   I’ve gotten some advertising a taxi service in Moscow. And then some of the Cyrillic spam I get is Ukrainian, not Russian (you can tell because it has “i” in it).

4. Matthew Baldwin Says:
   October 1st, 2008 at 2:22 pm

   Congratulations–you have the foreign policy experience necessary to be vice-president.

5. ChrisWWW Says:
   October 1st, 2008 at 2:29 pm

   I’m in an eerily similar situation. Proficient enough to pronounce the words, but ignorant as to the meaning.

   But even if I could understand it, I’m sure I wouldn’t want it in my inbox.

6. Rich Says:
   October 1st, 2008 at 2:32 pm

   Matthew (#4), that was a keeper. well, insofar as any online comment can be, which means a full 60 seconds rather than the usual 2 or 3. But still, good show.

7. joejoejoe Says:
   October 1st, 2008 at 2:35 pm

   It’s good foreign policy experience to get Russian spam.

8. rea Says:
   October 1st, 2008 at 2:44 pm

   What I keep getting–not in a foriegn language, admittedly–is spam trying to sell me Kubota earth moving equipment FOB Indonesia.

   The business model that leads to sending unsolicited offers to sell earth moving equipment located in Indonesia, to a lawyer in Grand Rapids, Michigan, eludes me . . .

9. brooksfoe Says:
   October 1st, 2008 at 2:50 pm

   Serves you right for dissing Stalin, you Russophobe.

10. Cliffy Says:
    October 1st, 2008 at 2:54 pm

    How many of us are there, one wonders, out toiling in our chosen fields, occasionally impressing our colleagues with the ability to sorta correctly pronounce the cyrillic that rarely comes across our desk (or, more frequently, photos in our newspapers)? “But what does it mean?”, they ask, but we simply smile an enigmatic smile and turn away, secretly cursing ourselves for quitting Russian class after second semester, as soon as it met our graduation requirements. Ну, ладна.

11. tps12 Says:
    October 1st, 2008 at 2:59 pm

    In Soviet Russia, spam eats you.

12. DCBob Says:
    October 1st, 2008 at 3:31 pm

    спам, спам, спам, спам,
    спам, спам, спам, спам,
    спаааааааам …
    үандерфул спам!

13. Pat Says:
    October 1st, 2008 at 4:39 pm

    #10, it’s ladno with an ‘o’.

14. Cliffy Says:
    October 1st, 2008 at 6:19 pm

    Not the way I pronounce it, baby!

15. Paul Lundgren Says:
    October 1st, 2008 at 8:18 pm

    Matt, if you can make out a few words, could you perhaps tell me when my mail-order bride should be arriving? I’ve got a shipment of cheap Viagra on order and I need to make sure everything is on schedule.

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