| This contest is fueled by the following news: |
| | A former America Online software engineer has pleaded guilty to the theft of 92 million screen names and email addresses -- which he turned around and sold to spammers. The sale set off a true avalanche of 7 billion unsolicited emails. Jason Smathers, who is 24 years old, entered a plea to conspiracy charges in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan. He will likely face 18 months to 2 years in prison when he is sentenced in May. Smathers has told the court that he received $28,000 from someone who wanted to use the email addresses to promote an offshore gambling site to AOL customers. Screen names make it easier to send email solicitations to consumers. |
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