The first includes large bulk mail houses such as Cyber Promo and Quantum that supply e-mailing services but also provide Net access to thousands of small spammers around the world. This renegade group of between 5,000 and 10,000 individuals causes the most problems. While prices and services differ, first-tier spammer Quantum is typical. The company offers three services. The Business Of Spam Business has been very good.
Spammers argue their business has overhead like any other.
Steven Faulkner, president of Integrated Media Promotion, has three employees and must keep 20 servers running at all times. Contrary to the image of renegade spammers hitting a button and going to lunch, commercial e-mailers said their work is demanding. A central task is managing and updating the huge databases of addresses that deteriorate at a monthly rate of 5 percent. And, like many bulk mailers, he said he spends much of his time managing lists of Netizens who request he not send to them. Still, the economics are enviable.