Unfortunately, as with many rumors it has grown completely out of proportion. Distribution of chain letters is a violation of America Online's Terms of Service, and appropriate action will be taken to prevent further distribution of the chain letter. I think we're talking apples and oranges here. I have about 6 main rules for the list and this is one of them. It is sent out to all new subscribers.
Good intentions are irrelevant.
Whether it's actually true or is a hoax is irrelevant. Whether this is the only place they might read it is irrelevant. By looking at the output of netstat, some addresses are connected to directly, and others seem to be relayed by the service provider, netcom. I haven't had the time to figure out how this works. I think the author of SmartList reads list-managers.