internetseer

billing for requested data

[plumsauce]

first some additional info that does not seem to
be in earlier threads about internetseer.

- their arin assignment is to GO2NET.COM/INFOSPACE.COM

this is what i had to say to them about ignoring
robots.txt just now:

Neither situation is my problem, if you do
not fix it, you can fully expect to be billed
at the rate of $0.10 per byte of data *requested*
by your robots returned by our servers effective
as of 2003/11/15.

This affects over 70 sites under my administration.
On one site that I just looked at, that is 5 requests
in ONE DAY at 153 bytes. Or, $0.10 * 5 * 153.
That is, $76.50 on that site alone.

could be quite profitable

[kevinpate]

As actually collecting seems unlikely, wouldn't it be far less time and hassle to simply block the critter, or am I once again suffering from a vivid absence of imagination?

[anchordesk]

They have ignored my robots.txt for over 2 years. They are blocked at the door, but that does not keep my log files from loading up with their regular and massive attempts.

Do you have a physical mailing address for them you'd be willing to share that will get through to the right person? I'll be only too happy to send them a notice similiar to yours.

[kevinpate]

<self-edit>

[richlowe]

<begin humorous reply>
oh my god! They requested 153 bytes from your server in ONE DAY! Holy cow, that's criminal. Hire the OJ lawyers immediately and let's go after these selfish idiots...

I just looked at my log files and I could easily make $40,000 extra dollars a year! from home. And, if I copied this data to 6 of my best friends and asked them to split their profits with me, I could pull in over a hundred grand a year! And then they could send it to their friends, and I could easily become a millionaire by the end of the year!

I'm writing the letter now ... blasting it out to the 200,000,000 email addresses I got for $39.95...
<end humorous reply>

Seriuosly, I don't believe there are any laws backing you up. A web server is available to the public and it's assumed that various entities will be looking it over from time to time.

[kwasher]

internetseer SUCKS big time!

I've reported them to all the spam agencies, as they send me spam every day (they grabbed my 100+ domain names from a submission servcie that had nothing to do with them). Thats on top of that robot problem.

They do not respond to requests for removal, except to say I could PAY them to join some club to control the emails.

We need to get rid of internetseer somehow, the world would be a better place.

[kevinpate]

While I regret being redundant ... simply block the critter.

A simple line in htaccess (or whatever is comparable for non-apache folks) and problem is solved. I doubt I even see two 403's per month in the logs anymore. I'd go back and check the logs to reconfirm, but well, much as the lovely Ms. Clark twanged a few years back, today I've got better thangs ta do.

[moltar]

They also annoy me. Maybe we could team up and create some sort of anti-internetseer movment? :)

[moltar]

Update:

I just called them at 1-610-361-3000 (listed in whois).

Automated message offered me to enter an extention or press # to go into directory or stay on the line to leave a message.

I went into the directory and entered "McLellan" (also listen in whois). Obviosly he was not there, but there was an option on the answering machine to press 0 (zero) to speak to an operator ;)

So I did that. I told the operator what I think about their service. And he said that I could just tell him the URLs and the site will be removed.

I asked him if I could send him links by email since I have lots of them. He said that I should send them to [e-mail] and the site(s) *definetely* will be removed.

I'll do it right now and let's see what will happen :)

[bcolflesh]

I'll do it right now and let's see what will happen :)

Use a throw-away email address to send the stuff!

[moltar]

I don't really care. I have a spamcop account ;) I already reported all their spam emails and now they get blocked by spamcop.

Now only thing is left is to drop the spider. I blocked it too, but it's a matter of principals :)

[bcolflesh]

drop the spider

Yeah, you'll have to - regardless of what their site claims, their spider does not obey robots.txt

[anchordesk]

If you succeed, let us know. I've been there, done that and still my logs are massively spammed by internetseer. My email box was too until I redirected them to the blackhole.

Internetseer is an irritating company which refuses to redress webmaster concerns. Like a little fly buzzing around your head and you can't quite swat it. You try to ignore it, but its there every day doing its little thing ... year after year.

[moltar]

I wonder if it understands redirects. Then I could create an infinite loop of redirects, so that it'd choke and die.