The real-life drama of now and on-line
continued
Below you will find my response to to
AOL, and the latest threat. Below that you will find AOL response to my request
for help. I also responded to their form letters and those along with a last
response from AOL finish out this page. Please note that AOL probably has many
on-line stalkers and harassment issues as they clearly have form letter
responses. Clearly AOL has the situation under control LOL! Please also note
that AOL has yet to resond to my WEB site although I have sent 3 pieces of email
to abuse at aol.com. Perhaps it is a member of the 'abuse' staff that is
responsible (just kidding). AOL is, I guess, just living up to its
non-responsive 'image'. LOL I especially find interesting that I have yet to get
a personal and meaningfull response for either AOL or the originator of the
letters. It alsmost as if AOL wants me to cancel their service which I am
seriously contemplating doing as AOL seems unresponsive to its customers and
appears to support harassment and stalking amoung it's membership. Clearly not
the kind of business I want to associate with.
Enclosed is the latest spam/email harassment sent to my web site address by
an AOL user
This harassment continues and has been on going since Mar 28. I have
repeatedly asked that you enforce your TOS but apparently you have yet to do
this.
This is the sixth or seventh email I have received and I really would
appreciate your help in resolving and 'stopping' this email.
I am currently posting this email and the others on my WEB site and will
continue to do so as long as AOL permits it's users to harass other AOL users.
Of particular interest is the mention that 'AOL users are being watched by
these folks. Seems AOL might be concerned that it allows stalking behavior
by it's members.
If you are unable to correct/stop this 'user(s)' please do let me know.
Your TOS and ABUSE guidelines clearly state that you will take appropriate
actions. Especially if the user continues. Well this user(s) has been
continuing now for 3+ weeks. How much longer do they need to continue before
you do something?
One in-line friend who I know has suggested that she may be one of the folks
they are stalking. her screen name is name-removed for privacy reasons.
Appreciate your help and interest in seeing this user stop this childish and
unsolicited email sent to my web address that is intended to harass and
threaten me for some 'unknown' and apparently 'imagined' action on my part.
Thanks
Tom
Return-Path:
<maybe forged@aolcom>
Received:
from emout13.mail.aol.com by flickerlight.org with smtp
(Linux Smail3.1.29.1 #3)
id m0wKAsG-0024FxC; Wed, 23 Apr 97 15:50 PDT
X-VMail:
emout13.mx.aol.com, emout13.mail.aol.com,
maybe forged@aolcom,
198.81.11.39
X-Authenticated-Timestamp:
15:50:52 (PST) on April 23, 1997
Received:
(from root@localhost) by emout13.mail.aol.com
(8.7.6/8.7.3/AOL-2.0.0) id
TAA01576 forfor more information contact us; Wed, 23 Apr 1997
19:50:15 -0400
(EDT)
Date:
Wed, 23 Apr 1997 19:50:15 -0400 (EDT)
From:
maybe forged@aol.com
Message-ID:
<970423194542_906894328@emout13.mail.aol.com>
To:
REPASKY@flickerlight.org
Subject:
THE COUNCIL
X-UIDL:
8352439cf7d45e3c91d5b9efa4cb661d
X-Mozilla-Status:
0001
THE TIME HAS ARRIVED. CONTINUED DESIRE, CONTACT, LUST, ENTICING, ALTERIOR
MOTIVES. WITH NOT ONLY THE ONE WE WATCH TO CARE FOR BUT OTHERS YOU HAVE
PERPETRATED THESE DEEDS UPON.
THOSE CLOSE TO EACH ONE AND THE SPECIAL ONE AND TO YOU, WILL NOW HAVE TO BE
INFORMED OF YOUR INTENTIONS AND SUBLIMINAL ACTIONS. WITH ALL IN THE CLEAR VIEW
OF ALL ASSOCIATED THERE WILL BE A CLEANSING AND RESOLUTION TO ALL OF THIS AND
WILL BE PUT BACK INTO PERSPECTIVE. NO MORE NEEDS TO BE SAID AT THIS
TIME. ACTION WILL SET INTO MOTION WHAT IS NEEDED. ALL YOU DO IS SEEN AND
RECORDED, ALL.
THE COUNCIL
maybe forged
AOL responds
Response #1
Subj: Re: Please stop your user from spam/harassing my
web address
Date: 97-04-23 21:51:14 EDT
From: AOL
Dear Member,
In an effort to protect the interests of our members, and in response to the
large volume of complaints AOL has received from our members regarding
unsolicited commercial email, AOL has set PreferredMail (keyword PREFERRED MAIL)
to protect your account from receiving email sent by certain junk email sites.
This list is updated regularly.
If you receive unsolicited email from the Internet in the future, please forward
that mail directly to TOSSpam.
Please be assured that AOL has not provided your email address to any junk
emailer. These names are collected through a variety of methods: capturing
screen names in chat rooms, on bulletin boards, from the Usenet, and through
random searches of our Member Directory. America Online is working on many
fronts (including litigation in a Federal District Court) to put an end to junk
email.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to write to us at
TOSGeneral.
Regards,
xxxxx
Community Action Team
America Online, Inc.
Response #2
Subj: Re: CONTINUING HARASSMENT/STALKING by AOL user(s)
Date: 97-04-23 22:14:52 EDT
Dear Member,
America Online encourages its members to adopt a "neighborhood watch"
approach in helping to keep our service a safe and enjoyable experience for
members of all ages.
The following are guidelines for reporting Terms of Service violations.
CHAT VIOLATIONS
To ensure consistency in the reporting and investigation of chat violations,
they must be reported in one of the following ways:
1) Click the "Notify AOL" button on the chat room screen.
2) Go to keyword REACH OUT ZONE, then click the "Get Help" button at
the bottom, then click "Chat".
Both of these methods will bring a "Notify AOL" report form onto your
screen. Please make sure that the form is filled out in its entirety before
sending.
IM VIOLATIONS / MESSAGE BOARDS / SCREEN NAMES / PROFILES
To report a screen name or profile, an instant message, or a message board post
please go to keyword TOS. Click on "Report a Violation", then click on
"Other", and select the icon that correlates with the violation you
are reporting.
EMAIL VIOLATIONS
Simply click the "forward" icon and forward the mail to the following
screen name: TOSEMail1. Include any relevant details. Email with attachments
should be forwarded to the screen name TOSFiles. "Spam" or
"junk" mail from the Internet should be forwarded to the screen name
TOSSpam.
OTHER OPTIONS
Ignore chat - ignore chat from another member in a chat room by double clicking
on the screen name in the room list, then clicking "Ignore".
Turn off IMs - turn off your Instant Messages by sending an IM to the
"screen name" $im_off. Reactivate them by sending one to $im_on.
Block yourself from Buddy Lists - to block yourself from other people's Buddy
Lists, go to keyword BUDDY, then click on "Preferences".
Block unwanted email - if you wish to block email from a particular member, you
can do so by signing on with the master screen name, then going to keyword MAIL
CONTROLS.
Please take the time to explore these areas and familiarize yourself with them.
They can be an invaluable tool in your experience online. I hope this
information helps you.
Regards,
xxxxx
Community Action Team
America Online, Inc.
Response #3
Subj: Re: PLEASE READ the ENTIRE message I am tired of
being harassed by AOL user(s)
Date: 97-04-23 21:59:43 EDT
Dear Member,
Thank you for reporting this information to us. Please be assured that I have
looked into this report carefully and taken appropriate action. Because we
respect the privacy of every member of America Online, we cannot disclose
specific information regarding any action we have taken against another account.
Along with your help, and the help of many other members like yourself, the
Community Action Team works to keep America Online informative, entertaining
and, above all, fun for all our members. For helpful information from the
Community Action Team, please use keyword TOS.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to write to us at
TOSGeneral.
Regards,
xxxxx
Community Action Team
America Online, Inc.
MY RESPONSE TO THE ORIGINAL SENDER
copied to AOL as well
Hello,
I received this at my WEB site today, this is the sixth or seventh piece of
email I have received all from different AOL addresses.
You may not have sent this and someone may be impersonating you or
you may have given away your password.
If you are not responsible for the email then my apologies for involving you.
However, since your name is clearly on the address, I am sending this to
you, to AOL and to my wbe site.
I do not know why I am being harassed and why the 'AOL users' referred to
in the email are being stalked by an AOL user. ANd I do not know why AOL
continues to allow it's users to do this since my first message was recieved and
forwarded to AOL on Mar 28.
However, I do not wish to continue receiving email from a source that does not
allow me to address the issue being presented.
If you are not the originator of this message I suggest that you contact AOL
about the 'theft' of your account & password.
If you are the originator, please do allwo me to communicate and address the
issues
as I do not believe that I am in any way compromising myself and my ethics. Nor
do I stalk and harass folks. Nor do I have any private communication with AOL
users that are under 30yrs in age.
Thanks you for your consideration in this matter
My second response to one of the AOL form letters above
While I really appreciate the form email respose.
Sending me it the last five times has
done nothing to stop your AOL user(s) from stalking
and harassing me. Clearly the 'magic' form letter is not
working. Perhaps some real 'action' might be in order since
this has been going on sice Mar 28 and I am now being harassed
at my web site addressfor more information contact us by the smae user(s)
and their 'THE COUNCIL" letters.
ENCLOSED latest harassment received 4/23/97
THis has been happening twice a week now for a month.
I have sent you each letter and a request for your action and support
and all I seem to get is your form letters. You would think by now that you
might
consider the stalking and harassment a concern to me a customer.
Apparently, you would rather I cancel my account and publish this material
on my web site ?
My third response to one of the AOL
form letters above
Hello,
Enclosed is the latest email sent tofor more information contact us, Apr 23, my web site.
Apparently, for some reason, I have been unable to communicate with you folks.
This harassment has been going on since Mar 28. THe user changes screen name
each time and apparently may be forging/or stealing account names from others.
I am sending this from AOL since sending email to abuse@aol.com never responds.
You may view the other 5-6 email threats I have received to both my AOL screen
names (which have been changed several times now) and to myfor more information contact us
web site address.
I have posted the meaagse from the AOL user at:
http://repasky.vte.com/fear1.htm
I can not block the user as they continue to use 'new screen names' each time.
I have forwarded to you and to abuse complete headers and contents of the email.
Please do not forward me another form letter as I will also post AOL response to
this
serious and ongoing invasion of my privacy. The user does not allow me recourse
to
address the issues presented and clearly indicates that I AND OTHER (AOL USERS)
ARE BEING STALKED AND MONITORED.
I HAVE DONE AS YOU HAVE SUGGESTED IN CHANGING MY SCREEN NAMES.
BLOCKED IM, AND BLOCKED MY BUDDY LIST.
Unfortuantely, this does not prevent them from continuing to harass me at
repasky@flickerlight.org.
Your form letters also are ineffictive in resoliving this matter.
AOL continues with their comical and
'I really am concerned attitude' NOT
Subj: Re: Harassement by an AOL user
Date: 97-04-23 23:13:27 EDT
From: xxxxx
Dear Member,
Thank you for reporting this information to us. Please be assured that I have
looked into this report carefully and taken appropriate action. Because we
respect the privacy of every member of America Online, we cannot disclose
specific information regarding any action we have taken against another account.
Along with your help, and the help of many other members like yourself, the
Community Action Team works to keep America Online informative, entertaining
and, above all, fun for all our members. For helpful information from the
Community Action Team, please use keyword TOS.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to write to us at
TOSGeneral.
Regards,
xxxx
Community Action Team
America Online, Inc.
( All from original text circa 1998.)
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