Background Information (Anecdotal) about Flame Spamming                                              back

The term "flame" was adopted by internet users in the mid 90's, referring to the use of email to assault an issue, reputation or individual.  The term "flame wars" was adopted to refer to engaging in campaigns of "flaming" by email and website content, with the same intent in mind. FSO has adopted the term "flame spam" to refer to the use of websites and emails to "poison pen" another's reputation, or to spread hate, or to engage in other kinds of slander or defamation, particularly when engaging in extortion of the victim.

This very difficult and controversial list will endeavor to identify the primary sources of flam spamming on the web, the hopes being that the individuals, once identified, will no longer be as motivated to waste the Internet on flame spamming others.

Differences of opinion abound on the Web, and American notions of Freedom of Speech protect various rights of those who wish to "mouth off" at others.  However, some websites and web site operators, are engaged in a sheer milieu of attacking others, and we believe, commercial attacks are regularly bought and paid for using the notions of Freedom of Speech and website slander as a weapon in the anti-competitive sense.  Furthermore, adverse content is also regularly being used by some, to demand money from their victims, something which while it is quite widespread, the Authorities refuse to prosecute.

FSORG does not pass judgment on the content of an identified Flame Spam site. Instead, we identify the alleged Flame Spam sites and publish information about them, in the journalistic, documentary sense.  We believe the public has the right to know who these people are, and if we can find out, who they are allied with.

FSORG was created from an endowment by a group of internet hosting and content companies who had experienced the process of flame spamming both directly and reflexively (reflexive flame spamming is the engaging in any Internet Conflict Procedure as a ruse to defer payment of services, as in the case of a well known public figure who, upon using a website for several months, developed by others, went out and filed a DNRP dispute, on the basis of trademark, and thereby obtained full title to the website and domain, without paying for it.)

FSORG is not intended to identify any legitimate website publishing legitimate information.  Therefore, we do not accept submissions regarding such sites when we believe it is very likely the information they are publishing is not Flame Spam at all.  If you believe you are being unfairly identified as a Flame Spammer, please email us at: info@flamespame.org with a full explanation as to what you believe is being done to you or your firm.