Today I read an Interview with a spammer. I thought it was pretty interesting.

It’s getting harder to spam. It’s becoming less profitable to spam. Playing by the rules means that messages don’t get read.

So, what’s a spammer to do?

Here are some answers — straight from the horse’s mouth. So to speak.

Q: Why don’t you send bulk e-mail legally? The Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act [the federal law regulating unsolicited bulk e-mail] allows you to.

A: You are correct. CAN-SPAM created a lot of opportunity for spammers. However, playing by the rules is too risky, and it’s bad for business. Here is what I mean.

The only way spammers can sneak by an ISP’s anti-spam filter these days is by tricking spam filters. The techniques to trick anti-spam filters are illegal, according to CAN-SPAM�not to mention a growing number of state anti-spam laws. To get past spam filters you can’t play by the rules.

Those illegal spammers who try to go legit are finding themselves in court for violating different anti-spam laws. CAN-SPAM was great because there was one law to abide by for sending bulk e-mail. Now ISPs and states are coming after us. If you want to be sure you don’t end up in a court, don’t let them find you.

Q: So why spam, if it’s getting riskier and less profitable?

A: Good question. For me, it’s what I know how to do. And I just would hate to give up. It’s like admitting defeat. But I am planning on quitting this spring.

Q: What does the future of spam look like for average-Joe spammers?

A: Not good. The capital investment in computers and software required to make it worth the risk is enormous. A lot of people younger than me are spamming. But for a lot of people like myself, it’s no longer easy money. We are throwing in the towel.

Q: So you are seeing a changing of the spam guard, so to speak?

A: Here is the deal. Spammers make money through advertising. And spammers today are diverse. They work with adware; they control botnets of computers; they are virus writers. Today’s spammers don’t just want to sell you Viagra; they want to trick you to into handing over your credit card number, or infect your system and turn it into a zombie.