Re: [Request for Correction]To Gnus team -- Gnus Info about spam

[Ted Zlatanov <tzz@lifelogs.com>]

On Sat, 10 Jan 2004, chenggao@cyberhut.org wrote:

> "If you get lots of spam from China, for example, you try to filter
> all mail from Chinese IPs."
> 
> Obviously spam is a world-wide disaster, and we Chinese should not
> be treated as only species of morons existed on this earth, though I
> know oftentimes we are treated like this way. You need not respect
> Chinese, but please dont let us feel insulted.
> 
> Please correct this biased wording. Suggest you use some forged
> country name (or rather USA :-p).

I wrote that passage, and I think you're overreacting a bit.  First of
all, this is obviously an example, and it should be clear to any
reader from "for example" in the sentence.  No judgment on China is
implied.  Your assumption that by using China as an example, I am
treating the Chinese as "morons" and with disrespect, is unwarranted
and unfounded.

Second, I don't want to invent a country.  I happen to think that
Elbonia, to take the example proposed, is just as insulting to
Albanians.  Also, I don't want to write a manual with invented country
names, that's slightly insulting to the intelligent reader IMHO.

Third, China is actually a pretty good example, being a big country,
because the very next paragraph makes the point that blocking a whole
country from contacting you is obviously not a good idea.

Fourth, this is a real-life situation.  People that get lots of spam
from China do try to block all Asian IPs.  You may not like it, but
I'm not stereotyping Chinese people in any way.  The existence of
spammers in a country hardly qualifies its people as "morons" as you
suggest.  Again, the next paragraph makes the point that presuming to
block mail from a whole country is very risky.

So are you complaining that I'm suggesting that there are spammers in
China?  On those grounds, you're definitely overreacting, because it's
true, and does not make all Chinese "morons."  Or maybe you don't like
that China specifically is used as an example?  I can use Bulgaria, I
guess, but it makes (3) and (4) above less valid.

Ted