From: G6JPG-255@255soft.uk   
      
   In message , Steve Hayes   
    writes:   
   []   
   >In this case I suspect that it is more than just spam. It's a   
   >concerted attempt to take over this newsgroup and use it for a   
   >different purpose.   
      
   I know what you mean; uk.local.geordie seems to have a conversation   
   about drugs, with numerous participants. That is different from the   
   "girls" posts here, in that it _does_ seem to be a conversation.   
   >   
   >Someone is TELLING people that they can use newsgroups like   
   >soc.genealogy.britain and soc.history as a kind of contact centre for   
   >romantic/sexual meetups, and they need to be told not to. Maybe 10%   
   >are spammers, the others are ones who have been drawn to the spam like   
   >a honeypot. They haver been told to come here, so they do.   
      
   In this particular newsgroup, I have _not_ seen any _replies_ to these   
   posts - other than yours that is! - or, for that matter, any of the   
   posts themselves. Since I have not seen the original posts, I don't know   
   if they are from "these people", or just one person; they seem of such a   
   consistent style that I _think_ they are from just one person, but I   
   could be wrong about that.   
   >   
   >It would be good if we could find out who is telling them, but the   
   >longer we ignore it, the worse it will get. It's time to push back,   
   >and tell everyone who posts an off-topic message that this is the   
   >wrong place to do so.   
   >   
   Yes, certainly tell them; however, here is not the place to tell them,   
   as there is absolutely no evidence that they are actually looking here   
   for responses. Tell them by email, or complaints to their ISP, or   
   whatever (I don't think _any_ will have any effect, but whatever) - but   
   telling them here (a) we have NO evidence is actually _reaching_ them   
   (b) is increasingly irritating the rest of us.   
   >   
   >   
   3   
   --   
   J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf   
      
   Anyone can do any amount of work provided it isn't the work he is supposed to   
   be doing at the moment. -Robert Benchley, humorist, drama critic, and actor   
   (1889-1945)   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)