Ring of Kerry have sold/given out our email addresses

kenmc

Lads and lassies,
if any of ye have received an email from "Nationwide Laptop Repair" over the last few days, it's because the Ring of Kerry have passed on a list of email addresses; I know this cos I use spamgourmet for disposable addresses, and the one attributed to my ring of kerry registration has been used for spam.
Muppets.

kippy

Surely not. Thats disgraceful if true.

kenmc

Well I've not used that particular disposable for anything else, and yet here it is being used by a spammer. 2 + 2 rarely equals anything other than 4.

Chips Lovell

Was there a box to tick somewhere?

Hmmm, just checked my spam folder and I got one too. I usually never tick those boxes, so I'm wondering if there was one at all now.

penexpers

I got one too.

kenmc

I don't think there was a box of any sort, cos I certainly would not have ticked it to receive spam. Of course the online registration is now closed.
I'm not actually doing the event this year so I can't, but I would suggest all others to make their displeasure on this known to the organizers at registration.

Caroline_ie

that's how we get nice sandwiches and cakes ...!

penexpers

kenmc wrote: »

I don't think there was a box of any sort, cos I certainly would not have ticked it to receive spam. Of course the online registration is now closed.
I'm not actually doing the event this year so I can't, but I would suggest all others to make their displeasure on this known to the organizers at registration.

Or even better still, send the mail on, with full headers, to support@messagelabs.com

kenmc

Caroline_ie wrote: »

that's how we get nice sandwiches and cakes ...!

I don't like spam sandwiches

kippy

Caroline_ie wrote: »

that's how we get nice sandwiches and cakes ...!

Is the event free to enter otherwise?
If there wasnt some form of a tickbox to opt in/out of advertising, its well low.

kenmc

kippy wrote: »

Is the event free to enter otherwise?

technically no, you have to raise sponsorship money. there is no minimum required though.

If there wasnt some form of a tickbox to opt in/out of advertising, its well low.

Definitely.

penexpers

penexpers wrote: »

Or even better still, send the mail on, with full headers, to support@messagelabs.com

This is the best way to get back at him, messagelabs will not be happy that their servers are being used for unsolicited spam.

Raam

I got that email about laptops.

AstraMonti

Got the email too..

ednwireland

kippy wrote: »

If there wasnt some form of a tickbox to opt in/out of advertising, its well low.

well low and possibly illegal i thought you had to provide an opt in mechanism before you were allowed to use addresses, but not 100% on that one.

Raam

Powersearchireland are in Kerry also, hmmm

http://whois.domaintools.com/powersearchireland.com

Registrant:
IMG
3 Annadale Road
Killorglin, Co Kerry 99999
IE

Domain Name: POWERSEARCHIRELAND.COM

Administrative Contact, Technical Contact:
Gillespie, Aidan
IMG
3 Annadale Road
Killorglin, Co. Kerry xx
IE
+353 66 9762702

Record expires on 24-Mar-2010.
Record created on 24-Mar-2000.
Database last updated on 1-Jul-2009 03:59:13 EDT.

Domain servers in listed order:

NS.WEBFUSION.CO.UK
NS2.WEBFUSION.CO.UK

LastFridayNight

If they've done that, they've broken the law, and I would strongly suggest you getting together to write to the data protection office to complain. Need to make an example of these folks so it doesn't happen again. Even if it was the website operator sold your email addresses, the Kerry tour organisers are still responsible for them.

Office of the Data Protection Commissioner. Canal House, Station Road, Portarlington, Co. Laois, Ireland.
LoCall 1890 25 22 31 - Phone 00353 57 868 4800 - Fax 00353 57 868 4757 - email info@dataprotection.ie

penexpers

I was in touch with the Website developers and they said that they don't have the e-mail addresses - that they are only held by the organisers in the head office. I have sent them the e-mail and they are going to chase it up.

irishmotorist

LastFridayNight wrote: »

If they've done that, they've broken the law, and I would strongly suggest you getting together to write to the data protection office to complain. Need to make an example of these folks so it doesn't happen again. Even if it was the website operator sold your email addresses, the Kerry tour organisers are still responsible for them.

Office of the Data Protection Commissioner. Canal House, Station Road, Portarlington, Co. Laois, Ireland.
LoCall 1890 25 22 31 - Phone 00353 57 868 4800 - Fax 00353 57 868 4757 - email info@dataprotection.ie

+1

lescol

I too got the e-mail but had deleted it without opening it. I work near Annadale Road and have used Aidan to repair my laptop, I have e-mailed him to remove me from the mailing list and directed him to this thread. If I receive another I'll be calling in, SPAM is bad enough but to be getting it from someone this close is galling.

kenmc

First we need to find out how he got all the email addresses. Is he on the committee of the ROK? Or did he steal find a bord-gais laptop?

penexpers

lescol wrote: »

I too got the e-mail but had deleted it without opening it. I work near Annadale Road and have used Aidan to repair my laptop, I have e-mailed him to remove me from the mailing list and directed him to this thread. If I receive another I'll be calling in, SPAM is bad enough but to be getting it from someone this close is galling.

Ok, this is being chased from multiple angles now

I got a reply from the website developers. They also got the same spam message from him. They will definitely be chasing this up too.

kenmc

Gotta love the powers of the internets!

kippy

kenmc wrote: »

Gotta love the powers of the internets!

Gotta love the "good" powers of the internets. Its the "dark" side thats caused this thread in the first place.

warrfla

ye got it too, definitely related to ROK registration

blorg

The ROK organisers may not be 100% up to speed on how unacceptable it is to pass on emails etc. so I would give them a second chance- needs to be made clear to them that it is utterly unacceptable, but probably they have just passed them on to this laptop guy Aidan, you will not (I hope) be getting a flood of spam from elsewhere.

I have got the occasional emails from Aidan Gillespie myself, not related to the ROK, he got my email address a few years ago from somewhere else, where I do not know. He really shouldn't be doing it, I agree, but I count 8 emails from him since late 2007 so it was not crazy excessive.

Raam

We should probably all drop in and buy a memory stick while we are down there.

kenmc

blorg wrote: »

The ROK organisers may not be 100% up to speed on how unacceptable it is to pass on emails etc.

I find that incredibly hard to believe, in this day and age, what with the recent scandals about laptops from bord gais, BofI etc going missing that ANYONE can claim to be unaware of the importance of keeping customers/clients etc data safe.

alfalad

Raam wrote: »

We should probably all drop in and buy a memory stick while we are down there.

How about we call in and ask to borrow a memory stick!

kenmc

Raam wrote: »

We should probably all drop in and buy be given a memory stick while we are down there.

better

Chips Lovell

Raam wrote: »

We should probably all drop in and buy a memory stick while we are down there.

Nah, ask him for the loan of a pump.

blorg

kenmc wrote: »

I find that incredibly hard to believe, in this day and age, what with the recent scandals about laptops from bord gais, BofI etc going missing that ANYONE can claim to be unaware of the importance of keeping customers/clients etc data safe.

It's email adresses, not financial details. A lot of people outside the "internet" don't fully realise how unacceptable it is to share email lists. I would wager the ROK organisers, being in general of a somewhat older generation, would fall into this category. I'd say make them aware it is wrong (explaining politely, I am sure there are guides out there as to what is acceptable) but give them a chance, they are after all volunteers doing this for charity and put on a great event every year. Yer man Aidan needs to cop himself on too regarding the unsolicited mails, I would reckon he should know better.

cantona_deux

Don't think that ROK cycle organisation would ever do anything to damage their reputation especially in these hard times. Given the longevity of the cycle don't think they would ever jepardise their supporters in anyway.

Probably a misplaced list on USB stick or worse a virus on an organisers PC/laptop. I have received 3 emails from this company on addresses I have never sent an email from. So I am checking my PC frantically for a spybot/spyware!

I doubt there has been a breach by the organisers - so lets ride it out (sorry no pun intended) and see where it goes after the event.

kenmc

cantona_deux wrote: »

I doubt there has been a breach by the organisers

Probably a misplaced list on USB stick or worse a virus on an organisers PC/laptop.

That is still a breach, albeit unintentional.

penexpers

blorg wrote: »

It's email adresses, not financial details. A lot of people outside the "internet" don't fully realise how unacceptable it is to share email lists. I would wager the ROK organisers, being in general of a somewhat older generation, would fall into this category. I'd say make them aware it is wrong (explaining politely, I am sure there are guides out there as to what is acceptable) but give them a chance

This is where I would see it. I was asking the guy from the web dev company if I should follow up with them and he said there wouldn't be much point because they are completely clueless about IT stuff.

unionman

I got it too. Surprised to learn of its origins.

It went straight into my spam folder along with 'AN egsellent apportuntiy far you to share in a provate estimable fortune of Euro 3 million from my privete bank olding kawmpanny in Nigeria' and 'KEEP HER UP ALL NITE xxx viagra at eccellent rates $$$'.

thebouldwhacker

Look how they laugh at us.........


(in saying that I have recieved no spam email)

FrankGrimes

Dear Mr. Gillespie,

This is to notify you that, in return for your head-wrecking behaviour, you should expect to receive of a bucketful of Yoga Nuggies. These shall be hand delivered on my behalf by my main man Dhalsim:



I shall also bestow a few Judo Chops onto you should I have the pleasure of making your acquaintance in person.

Regards,
Old Grimesy

cantona_deux

KenMc lets not go hassle the ROK organisers - lets be honest its a voluntary charitable organisation and the people who run it are honest. As for data protection - thats outside their remit as well as it is a charity - not for profit organisation. I doubt they disclosed it to a 3rd party knowingly.

Lets annoy this Powersearch company but I think there mey well be a reason - perhaps a sponsor or otherwise.

kenmc

I never said anything about going after anyone!

ROK ON

Hi. AFAIK the ROK organising cmttee handed over the running of this yrs event to Radio Kerry. It says as much on the website. I would agree with Blorg that volunteers may not be aware, particularly if from a certain generation. However Radio Kerry would be aware.
Either way it is unacceptable, but hardly anything to lose sleep over either. I would imagine that an email to the organisers and this Aidan chap should suffice.

Bunnyhopper

cantona_deux wrote: »

As for data protection - thats outside their remit as well as it is a charity - not for profit organisation.

Do charities have an exemption from data protection legislation? I'm not sure they do.

petethedrummer

blorg wrote: »

A lot of people outside the "internet" don't fully realise how unacceptable it is to share email lists. I would wager the ROK organisers, being in general of a somewhat older generation, would fall into this category.

Will someone send them this explanation of the internets:

Ten movies streaming across that, that Internet, and what happens to your own personal Internet? I just the other day got...an Internet was sent by my staff at 10 o'clock in the morning on Friday. I got it yesterday [Tuesday]. Why? Because it got tangled up with all these things going on the Internet commercially.
[...] They want to deliver vast amounts of information over the Internet. And again, the Internet is not something that you just dump something on. It's not a big truck. It's a series of tubes. And if you don't understand, those tubes can be filled and if they are filled, when you put your message in, it gets in line and it's going to be delayed by anyone that puts into that tube enormous amounts of material, enormous amounts of material

United States Senator Ted Stevens

blorg

Bunnyhopper wrote: »

Do charities have an exemption from data protection legislation? I'm not sure they do.

No, they are subject to it the same as anyone else.

Chips Lovell

cantona_deux wrote: »

As for data protection - thats outside their remit as well as it is a charity - not for profit organisation.

Data protection law applies to charities.

kcphoto

Hi,

Just confrirming I also received the laptop repair email today (and
am signed up for Saturdays punishment)...

There are a few well made points already about who gave out details and what information was given out (postal address also ?)
I would also like to add that, as someone who works in IT, I find it hard to believe that any genuine company still thinks it is ok to market themselves in this way (unsolicited). In my view it reflects very poorly on the company itself.

Personally , I will remove myself from the mailing list and notify the ROK organisers that I feel it is inappropriate to pass on any details used as part of the registration.

thebouldwhacker

You must ...

1. Obtain and process the information fairly
   
2. Keep it only for one or more specified and lawful purposes
   
3. Process it only in ways compatible with the purposes for which it was given to you initially
   
4. Keep it safe and secure
5. Keep it accurate and up-to-date
6. Ensure that it is adequate, relevant and not excessive
7. Retain it no longer than is necessary for the specified purpose or purposes
   
8. Give a copy of his/her personal data to any individual, on request.

These provisions are binding on every data controller. Any failure to observe them would be a breach of the Act.
Certain data controllers are also required to register with the Data Protection Commissioner - see the registration section for more details.

penexpers

Just to update : the organisers are aware of what has happened and (I think) are also aware of this thread. They are trying to get to the bottom of what happened. This isn't being ignored.

DirkVoodoo

Good stuff, I got it too. Annoying because I use hotmail for useless junk I never want to read and gmail for regular emailing.

Home:Ballyhoura

Just to let you know that I got it too!

penexpers

Update : http://www.ringofkerrycycle.ie/2009/07/sincere-apologies/