Slashdot Log In
Olympic Medalist was Spyware King
Posted by
CowboyNeal
on Thu Feb 16, 2006 07:17 PM
from the other-biathlons dept.
from the other-biathlons dept.
Remy writes "Seems that Australian gold medal mogulist Dale Begg-Smith is also a spyware entrepreneur. According to a report at Spam Kings, Begg-Smith has supported himself in style as president of a company responsible for generating 20,000,000 pop-ups per day, thanks to drive-by installs of spyware. I know the concept of Olympians being amateurs is outdated, but shouldn't they be barred from competition for this sort of thing?"
This discussion has been archived.
No new comments can be posted.
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
Full
Abbreviated
Hidden
Loading... please wait.
Well... (Score:5, Insightful)
Also, on the subject of "amateurs", you can't be a "professional" in the sport you're competing in. There's nothing to say that someone can't be rich, or be a "professional" in some other field. He shouldn't be barred for "richly supporting himself" either, until installing spyware becomes an Olympic sport.
Hmm. Don't give them any ideas.
Re:Well... (Score:5, Funny)
Sport 1: Competitive spamming
Sport 2: Shooting. But we give the recievers the guns
Parent
Re:Well... (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:Well... (Score:5, Funny)
Nephilium
**Sniff sniff... is that burning karma I smell?**
Parent
Re:Well... (Score:5, Informative)
I understand the reason for the change, but I think it did take something out. Take for example the 1980 US hockey win against the Soviets. Why is that so famous? Because a team of college kids beat the most "professional" hockey team at that time. It was a big win because amateurs beat the professionals. (Yes, I know Team USA practiced for over a year before the Olympics but that was nothing compared to the years of practice for the Soviets).
Now, today in 2006, the US hockey team flew in the day before from all their NHL teams and then went on the ice the next day to play against Lativia. What is amazing in this 2006 game is that the "basically amateur" team from Lativia tied the NHL *super-stars*. Team Lativia went nuts after the game because they should have blown out. It made a big story because the professionals were almost beaten.
For the NHL professionals (or any other professional competing) this is not something they are dying to win. A lot of the time they are more worried about their National endorsements (think basketball star controversy) and/or they are worried about not going all out because they might get hurt and injure themselves and hurt their professional career. (Yes, not all think like this, but enough do which takes away some of the spirit of the games.)
Which would you rather see? A young amateur who goes all out and wins a gold after years of practice or a paid professional taking a week off from their competitive sport so they can try to pump up their professional career and get more shoe endorsements?
Parent
Re:Actually... (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Then again (Score:5, Funny)
In true Aussie style: (Score:5, Funny)
Fuck you canada! You can have him back - and take this trashy medal with you on your way out.
Re:In true Aussie style: (Score:5, Funny)
Fuck you Aussies! You claimed him in the first place - you keep him! We're going to keep the steroid users from Jamaica.
- Zarq.
Parent
Imposter (Score:5, Funny)
A real Canadian would apologise.
Parent
Yeah (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Yeah (Score:5, Funny)
Or they could do an interesting drug test - "We heard you are a spammer and need to find out if you have been using drugs. Drop your pants and stand next to this ruler."
Parent
interesting (Score:5, Informative)
Huh? (Score:5, Insightful)
The olympics are judging competitors on thier sporting abilities, not thier business ethics. If Dale has broken some law then fair enough, chase him down with lawyers. Disqualifying him from the olympics would be on par with banning anyone who fails a doping test from running thier own business - they are completely unrelated.
Sad (Score:5, Insightful)
ps: this is only a joke if rated funny and a serious warning all should heed if rated anything else.
Well... (Score:5, Insightful)
(Please don't misinterpret this as saying that Jesse Owens was somehow wrong.)
20,000,000? (Score:5, Funny)
That's it?
Pfft. That's like 100,000 infected machines, tops.
Please don't tell me (Score:5, Funny)
Foster's. Australian for beer. (Score:5, Funny)
*WAS* is the important word right (Score:5, Funny)
Well at least the olympics are good for reducing spam right ?
his real sponsors.... (Score:5, Funny)
I bet it has 'sponsored by C1Alis! and Vi4gra! By online too satsfy you're lady"
Modified medal (Score:5, Funny)
Take away his medal and... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I wonder..... (Score:5, Funny)
The spammer was taken to a hospital with
Parent
Re:I wonder..... (Score:5, Informative)
He's already shot a lawyer, if he can bag a spammer and an RIAA executive, Cheney will be a shoo-in for the 2008 presidential election.
Parent