cyberdiver.net is spamming

[BillP]

Hi All:

Those of you who know me know how I feel about spam. I received the email spam newsletter below today from cyberdiver.net. I had never visited cypberdiver's website, subscribed to any newsletter, or even expressed an interest in hearing from them. The only places I give out my email address are on scuba message boards like RSD and Diverlink (the board script here lets me "hide" my email address so it's harder to find) so they must have harvested my address from one of those boards. If you get some of this spam and share my disdain for unsolicited emails I urge you to contact cyberdiver's sponsors (as I will) and ask them to remove their support from these "people". The sponsors of the spam and the spammers are:


Papua New Guinea Expeditions- jen@pngexpeditions.com
Action Divers (Philippines)- info@actiondivers.com
Mara's Dive (Hawaii)- mara@marasdive.com
SS Thorfinn (Truk)- Seaward@mail.fm
Island Dreams Tours & Travel- info@islandream.com
StampEx (Germany)- info@stampex.de
Japan Diver- the Japanese version of Cyberdiver- no email


You can be sure that I don't do business with people who support spammers.

Thanks for your time,

Bill

The "newsletter" follows:

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Per request, please find the latest issue of CYBER DIVER HOTLINE for your
review and comments. If you decide that HOTLINE does not reflect your
interests, just click on unsubscribe at the bottom of this page and you
will automatically be removed from our mailing list.

==========================================================

CYBER DIVER HOTLINE - 2001-3-9

Powered by CDNN - Cyber Diver News Network, Cyber Diver Hotline is the
world's largest and longest running scuba diving newsletter with over
138,862 subscribers.

Published by UES Global Online Publishing, a non-profit, public service
organization committed to dive safety, marine conservation and ad-free,
unbiased information about diving products and services.

In this issue of HOTLINE:

* CDNN TOP NEWS STORIES
* HOTLINE READERS WRITE ABOUT FIJI
* MY CD - BUY & SELL DIVE GEAR
* SOS 2001 PHOTO CONTEST
* CDNN SURVEYS
* PRIVACY STATEMENT

HOTLINE is made possible by the generosity of the following companies:

Papua New Guinea Expeditions @ http://www.pngexpeditions.com
Action Divers - Philippines @ http://www.actiondivers.com
Mara's Dive - Hawaii @ http://www.marasdive.com
SS Thorfinn - Truk, Micronesia @ http://www.thorfinn.net
Island Dreams Tours & Travel @ http://www.islandream.com
StampEx - Germany @ http://www.stampex.de
Japan Diver @ http://www.japan-diver.com
__________________________________________________________

CDNN TOP NEWS STORIES - PAGE ONE

* UK - Divers salvage Bluebird
Thirty-four years after Donald Campbell died trying to break his own world
water speed record, divers have raised the wreck of the Bluebird.…

* FIJI - Illegal government quits
A week after the Court of Appeal declared the military-backed government
illegal, it has offered to quit. "We have agreed and we have tendered our
resignation after the meeting today and it has been taken up by the
president to decide," interim Attorney-General Alipate Qetaki told
reporters…

* USA - PADI, DEMA, Rodales suffer second sharkfeeding defeat
Hillsboro Beach has joined Deerfield Beach in banning shark-feeding. The
unanimous decision by the Hillsboro Beach city commission was another
stunning defeat for PADI, DEMA, Rodales and others in the diving industry
that are fighting to protect dive operators involved in the highly
profitable business of sharkfeeding…

* FIJI - Suva calm after Court of Appeal tells government to step down
Suva, the capital city of Fiji remains calm after the Court of Appeal
declared the army-backed government illegal and ordered it to give up
power. The judges ruled that the interim government had not proved its
right to rule and that Fiji's 1997 multi-ethnic constitution remains the
supreme authority…

* US VIRGIN ISLANDS - Cousteau, Selengut team up on St. John eco project
Eco tourism pioneer Stanley Selengut and renowned marine conservationist,
Jean-Michel Cousteau, have joined together to offer eco adventure
vacations in St. John called "Ambassadors of the Environment." The
partnership will combine Cousteau's environmental education program,
Selengut's eco-friendly Maho Bay resort and the pristine Virgin Islands
National Park habitat…

* FIJI - Summary of judgement against military-backed government
Republic of Fiji islands and Attorney General v Prasad. Summary of Court
of Appeal Judgement of March 1, 2001…

* FIJI - Court of Appeal rules against army-installed government
The Fiji Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal by the army-installed
government to overturn an earlier High Court decision that it is illegal.
In the ruling Fiji Court of Appeal president Sir Maurice Casey made the
following declarations…

* FIJI - Security tight after bomb threats
The army and police forces have been put on high alert after bomb threats.
Security is tight in the capital city of Suva a day ahead of the Court of
Appeal decision that will decide if Fiji's army-installed government will
remain in power.

GO TO http://www.cyberdiver.net/page-one/page-one.html
___________________________________________________________

HOTLINE Readers Write about Fiji

I sent your Act Now letter to the Fiji interim government. Thanks for
giving me the opportunity to do something. Hiroko

I have just emailed the UES Act Now letter. If others in the tourist
industry had followed your lead, this mess might have been cleaned up much
earlier. Greg (dive center owner)

I will send your Act Now message later today. Thanks for telling it like
it is while everybody else has been pretending nothing was wrong. Robert

Whether it’s environmental activism or a proactive commitment to human
rights, many of us want to get involved and help right the many wrongs we
learn about in our dive travels around the world. Michelle

I live in Fiji and I can tell you no one is unhappier about what has
happened here than we are and no one is more appreciative for what you are
doing to help. We know it’s up to us to make it work, but right now, we
need your help. Keep up the good work Cyber Diver! Aaron

Bula from the Great Astrolabe Reef! I agree with your letter to get all
divers to voice their feelings about Fiji's democracy but when things are
settled soon and the 1997 multi-ethnic constitution is back, PLEASE also
encourage divers to SUPPORT us in Fiji. As a resort owner we have been
almost ruined by all this political chaos and we need your help to
recover. Russell
___________________________________________________________

MY CD - BUDDY CAFE

We are delighted to announce that we have upgraded our Buddy Cafe
listings. Now it's even easier to buy and sell gear, announce dive trips
and job search.

GO TO http://www.cyberdiver.net/my-cd/my-cd.html
___________________________________________________________

SOS 2001 PHOTO CONTEST

The winners of our SOS 2001 Photo Contest will be announced in the next
issue of CYBER DIVER HOTLINE.
__________________________________________________________

CDNN SURVEYS

Would you boycott Japan products to stop whaling?
YES - 2083 NO - 0046
Are you opposed to sharkfeeding?
YES - 2018 NO - 0521
Does PADI's 2-day "Scuba Diver" course adequately train beginners?
YES - 0455 NO 3436
Should tourists boycott apartheid Fiji?
YES - 1153 NO 0409

CDNN will introduce new surveys soon. If there is an issue you want us to
include in our new polls, please let us know at survey@cyberdiver.net
__________________________________________________________

CYBER DIVER PRIVACY STATEMENT

Cyberdiver.net respects and protects the privacy of our site visitors and
newsletter subscribers. We encourage other sites, especially scuba diving
magazines, to join us in this effort. We are aware that some diving
magazines are using online sites to harvest email addresses and other
personal information for the purpose of selling mailing lists to
commercial vendors that market to divers. We strongly condemn this
practice. We will NEVER sell, exchange, or release your personal
information (name, e-mail address, etc.) to any third parties under any
circumstances.
___________________________________________________________

HOTLINE is published by CDNN, Cyber Diver News Network, and UES Global
Online Publishing, non-profit organizations that are proactively committed
to dive safety, marine conservation and ad-free unbiased information for
divers worldwide.

With 14 publications in English and Japanese, no other scuba diving
publisher so effectively transcends geographical, linguistic and cultural
boundaries.

The following companies and organizations share your commitment to dive
safety, marine conservation and ad-free, unbiased information for divers
worldwide.

SPONSORS

Papua New Guinea Expeditions @ http://www.pngexpeditions.com
Action Divers - Puerto Galera, Philippines @ http://www.actiondivers.com
Mara's Dive - Kona, Hawaii @ http://www.marasdive.com
SS Thorfinn Liveaboard - Truk, Micronesia @ http://www.thorfinn.net
Island Dreams Tours & Travel @ http://www.islandream.com
StampEx @ http://www.stampex.de
Japan Diver Scuba Diving Magazine @ http://www.japan-diver.com

DIVE TRAVEL - Papua New Guinea Expeditions, Island Dreams Tour &
Travel, Setarawarni Tourism Malaysia, New Adventures USA,
Diving Adventures

DIVE CENTERS

HAWAII - Mara's Dive - Kona, Capt. Nemo's Scuba Shack,
Pacific Dive, Extended Horizons, Maui Scuba Diving

MICRONESIA - SS Thorfinn - Chuuk - Truk Lagoon

PHILIPPINES - Action Divers - Puerto Galera, Genesis Divers,
Dive Right, Polaris Dive

MEXICO - Huatulco Scuba Diving

INDONESIA - Reefseekers

SEYCHELLES - Island Ventures, Big Blue Divers

CYPRUS - Dive-In

CALIFORNIA - Pacific Green Divers

VIETNAM - Espai Salvatge

FIJI - Ovalau Watersports, Subsurface, Tropical Dive

THAILAND - Blue Marlin, Samui Scuba Adventures

CANARY ISLANDS - Aqua-Marina, Atlantic Divers

AUSTRALIA - South Bank Dive, Diversion, Pro Dive Manly, Fishrock
Dive Centre, Ben's Diving Services, Palm Beach Dive Centre,
Adventure Down Under

JAPAN - H2O Eco Expeditions, Fathoms, Club H2O

IRELAND - Viking Sub-Aqua Club

NETHERLANDS - Duikcentrum Dive 2000

DIVE GEAR/CAMERA - StampEx, Reef Scuba Accessories, Aquatec-UK,
Quest Video, Safe Dive Ltd, SEADOG Sports-USA

LIVEABOARDS - Thorfinn - Chuuk/Truk Lagoon, Indian Ocean
Explorer-Seychelles, Southeast Asia Divers-Thailand,
Windjammer SL-Canary Islands, Atlantis Adventures-Thailand,
Wildcat-Red Sea, S/Y Seraph-Thailand, Celles Maritime
Adventures-Belize, Scuba Cat & Scuba Adventure-Thailand,
M/Y Galalah - Red Sea, King Snefro - Red Sea, Don Pierre - Red Sea

MARINE CONSERVATION - Biodiversity Research Institute - Japan

PUBLISHERS - Hammerhead Press, Philippine Diver, Abbeville Press

DIVE BOAT BUILDERS-DESIGNERS - Q-West Boatbuilders - New Zealand
___________________________________________________________

Copyright 2001 CDNN and UES Global Online Publishing
All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in CYBER DIVER HOTLINE PRO do not
necessarily reflect the view of Cyber Diver Sponsors and other CDNN
contributors.

In English, powered by CDNN, published by UES International:

Cyber Diver Scuba Diving Magazine - FREE
Cyber Diver Hotline - FREE
Cyber Diver Hotline Pro - FREE
Club CD Dive Traveler - FREE
Cyber Diver Sponsor - FREE
Cyber Diver eMarketing Solutions - FREE
Cyber Diver IN-DEPTH - US $96 per year

In Japanese, powered by JDNN, published by UES Japan

Japan Diver Scuba Diving Magazine - FREE
Japan Diver Hotline - FREE
Japan Diver Hotline Pro - FREE
Club JD Dive Traveler - FREE
Japan Diver Sponsor - FREE
Japan Diver eMarketing Solutions - FREE
JD REPORT - 12,000 yen per year

#20010309ht155cd
___________________________________________________________
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[Mario S Caner]

Thanks for the great info, I'll keep my eyes open as well.

 

[BillP]

Note how cyberdiver's "privacy statement" in their spam states (in part):

"We are aware that some diving magazines are using online sites to harvest email addresses... We strongly condemn this practice."

Hmmm, they apparently harvested MY email address (and a lot of others) from Rodale's Scuba Diving's website for their spam.

On their website they are very proud of the fact that they accept no advertising stating:

"CYBER DIVER is a 100% ad-free, interactive diving network", "Advertising is strictly prohibited in CYBER DIVER", and

"There is a place for ad-based diving magazines, to be sure, but how much integrity can we expect from publishing enterprises that blatantly pander to advertising contributors? How much objectivity can we expect from monthly magazines and their online counterparts that keep “rediscovering” the same overcrowded dive destinations and the same high-volume dive operators who buy the big ads? How much honesty can we expect from online diving publications that go out of their way to avoid objective, critical reviews that might offend clients?"

Instead of advertisers, "Our ad-free, objective reports are made possible by Cyber Diver Sponsors".

Let's see, cyberdiver doesn't have ADVERTISERS, they have SPONSORS, who don't have ADS, they have, uh, er, uhm, well ADS on the website and in the newsletter. It looks to me like cyberdiver.net wouldn't know honesty and integrity if it jumped up and bit them on the tank. Personally, I wouldn't want to have anything to do with those "people". I do not trust them and their transparent duplicity. Who do they think they're foolin'?

Just more of my 2¢,

Bill

 

[MrMrEZG]

and i dislike RSD but they have my e-mail addy and i have never received anything from diverlink so it may not be RSD who sold you out.

 

[BillP]

Hi MrMrEZG:

I don't believe that RSD sold the email addresses. I think that cyberdiver.net harvested visible addresses from the message board without RSD's knowledge. My primary email address that I use on the board was hit, but my "BillP@scubadiving.com" account was not. A number of RSD bulletin board users were hit with the spam, but apparently only at the addresses that they post on the board.

BTW, I did not use the autoresponder address in the spam to have my address removed from the listbot.com mailing list, but I did complain directly to cyberdiver.net. Cyberdiver did not respond to my complaint, but a short time later I got a message from listbot.com telling me that my address had been removed.

Bill

 

[vr]

I think you misunderstand. It's not that RSD sold him out. Cyberdiver harvested addresses from RSD's board and spammed them. Several people on their board reported being spammed. Diverlink hasn't has any problems and there is a post that explains why. They hate spam too and guard against it.

To RSD, it's not a priority.

 

[MrMrEZG]

i did not get spammed and RSD has my address.