SPIM or Not-to-SPIM

Hello. I'm a noob here but would like some feedback if you all don't mind. I see people advertising their websites in chat rooms and via instant messages on Yahoo and ICQ. It seems this kind of advertising, called SPIM, is a type of loophole in the anti-spam laws. It isn't sent to someone's email address at all so legally it isn't considered SPAM. After doing some research it seems only one person has ever been charged with this type of thing and it was only after he tried to blackmail MySpace with threats of releasing how he was doing it unless they payed him a huge amount of cash. Apparently in the end he was charged with extortion.

Just to see if I could, I made a program to SPIM Yahoo user names with messages including a URL. It doesn't ban me and leaves offline messages, so the users will see the message and URL the next time they log into Yahoo messenger. All I have to do is load lists of user names into it, add a bot name to SPIM with, add a short message and a link and hit start. It will SPIM about 1,000,000 user names in about 8 hours.

I have very little experience with being a webmaster and almost zero know-how on how to generate traffic. However I would love to get into an affiliate program that doesn't frown on traffic generated this way. It isn't illegal, generates huge traffic (5,000 - 10,000 hits per day) and it seems that a select few people are doing it and making good money from it.

What are your thoughts on this?

 

Spam. Enough said.

 

It's spam. Hope they find you and prosecute you.

Other than that, good luck.

 

Yeah It sounds like spam to me too...

 

Jeez guys, I didn't say I was actively using it and SPIM'ing everyone on Yahoo. So don't send the Yahoo police over to my house to prosecute me just yet okay... LOL

Lighten up yall, was just asking yall's opinions is all. Lets hear soome more...

 

People don't get enough free iphone or $500 macy's gift certificate offers through myspace already, why don't you send some of those

 

We were giving you our opinions. It's SPAM.

I hate spam, and I try to be as anti-spam and spam free as I can. None of my websites have spam or pop-ups on it. I don't believe in that stuff.

Good luck, and did you by chance hear about the man who was recently arrested? Yeah, it was spam.

 

There is no longevity in spam anyways - once you stop spamming your sales stop. Better to build a website that you know will get visitors day in and day out that requires little maintence.

 

I see aletheides point about having a site that brings members back and forth all the time which can keep active traffic but I also see the point in what Rob is saying. I don't agree that its spam because its not invading someones privacy nor is to being sent through email. Its a single message that advertises something that doesnt constantly pop up while trying to surf a webpage. Or its not being sent constantly over & over to the same person. If they dont want to view the link they can simply click it closed and be done with it forever. I personally think it seems like an inexpensive way to reach people out there. But again this is just my opinion i dont think its really spam as long as its not harming or harrassing someone! I also think that some people complain way to much about being "spammed too" ! I don't think that by receiving one single little message that you are being spammed , i do agree if your getting mass emails or mass messages by someone or a company then yea it gets annoying after awhile but I guess thats the difference between spam and spim.