Just say no to Elvis Spoofing.

I Find Karma (adam@cs.caltech.edu)
Tue, 26 Nov 96 16:03:55 PST


Isn't it a little early for April Fools?
:) Adam

To: adam@cs.caltech.edu
Subject: elvis

Internet-Draft Elvis The Stiff
Category: Informational GRACELAND.COM
Expires April 1, 1997 November 1996

Elvis Spoofing

<draft-elvis-email-spoof-00.txt>

Status of this Memo

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Abstract

This document describes Elvis Spoofing - the abuse of the
<elvis@graceland.com> email account (especially by Usenet users
and system admninistrators), and introduces the death penalty as a
deterent.

1. Funny, ha, ha - NOT

It appears to be "cool", "funny", "cute" (and many other equally
pathetically similar phrases) to send email to someone with the
Sender or From address set to <elvis@graceland.com>. Each person who
does this is, of course, acting entirely in a totally original
manner and doing "something that nobody has ever thought of before",
and are thinking "boy, won't this cause a laugh".

This misplaced belief causes the recipient to respond with an
equally witty reply to the <elvis@graceland.com> email address. This
situation, while usually harmless, is still annoying because of the
volume of email sent to the "elvis@graceland.com" account.

Elvis The Stiff [Page 1]
Internet Draft Elvis Spoofing November 1996

Usenet users are the most problematic group. They have test
newsgroups to do this in. "Gee, I can post test mail and if I do it
from <elvis@graceland.com>, no one will know it's me!". This would
be fine in itself, but each test newsgroup sends an email message
saying the posting has been successful. So what you say? Email is
harmless.

The majority of *.test postings that the <elvis@graceland.com>
account receives contain copyright materials sold by major software
companies. In addition, posting large (megabytes) messages to *.test
newsgroups creates hundreds and hundreds of 32k "posting
verification" messages to be sent to the From address.

Not only is posting copyrighted material without the permission of
the copyright owner illegal, the quantity of email generated places
a severe strain on the intermediate internet infrastructure, as well
as the GRACELAND.COM mail server(s).

2. What to do about this

1. DO NOT FORGE THE <ELVIS@GRACELAND.COM> EMAIL ADDRESS
2. DO NOT POST COPYRIGHTED MATERIALS ANYWHERE ON THE INTERNET
WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT OWNER

3. Deterrent

As a deterrent to this dilemma, anyone caught forging the
<elvis@graceland.com> email address will be given a virtual death
penalty. They may find their access to the GRACELAND.COM domain
permanently terminated. They may also find fines and even jail time
being imposed by a court of law.

4. Appeals

There is no appeals process.

5. Security Considerations

There are no known security considerations beyond those of the
perpetrators host being found.

10. Author's Address

Elvis The Stiff
email: elvis@graceland.com

[This document expires April 1, 1997]

Elvis The Stiff [Page 2]