Today marks the fifth day of the New Year. We hope, this year, we would do better than we did last year; or, as my senior drinking buddies say, less bad.

For if we cannot bring about more good, reducing the bad would be almost just as good.

As my favorite politician used to say, if we cannot move closer to Heaven, then at least let us move as far as we can from Hell.

In the IT world, there are quite a lot of things we consumers wish would simply disappear, as fast as they can. Without a doubt, we sure wish those computer viruses and other malware would become part of history. And that their writers and creators would just as promptly join them there.

We also wish those scammers, especially those who prey on the unwitting consumers, to go the way of the dinosaurs. There are just too many despicables who solicit our help in transferring millions of dollars from some Nigerian bank accounts to other you-name-it sludge funds.

And of course, spammers; the world could use considerably less of them. With Cisco Systems’ estimates saying that there might be up to 200 billion spam emails circulating each day, we sure could use some breather.
 
Balsam for Spam Pains

Marketer-turned-lawyer (a most potent and deadly mix, I guess) Daniel Balsam of San Francisco, California, has made a career out of suing spammers. Eight years ago, he was working as a marketer (which for some people would only be a step or two away from the status of a spammer), when he received too many spam emails offering him cheap medications and even free sex.

Even before he had finished his law course, Balsam began frequenting San Francisco’s small claims courts, going after marketers who flood his email inboxes with much-hated spams. Soon, Balsam also started appearing before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

A definite sign or measure of Balsam’s success, spamming operators are filing counter-lawsuits against him.
Some parties might question his motive and methods; but this corner says “more power” to you, Mr. Balsam.
 
Online Commerce Booms

American consumers spent $36.4 billion in October 31–December 24, the full 2010 holiday shopping season in the United States, according to the SpendingPulse study by MasterCard Advisors. Marking a 15.4-percent year-over-year increase over the 2009 holiday season, these results surely bring lots of smile to the country’s online retailers and the general population of economists and analysts.

Although some analysts are still holding on to their belief that the world’s biggest economy is barely out of the woods and that recovery is still fragile at best, an increasing number of observers are having the biggest sigh of relief for a long while, believing that the worst has passed.

For everyone’s sake, let us hope that the latter camp has got it correct.

That’s all for the meantime, folks. Join me again next time as we keep on watching IT.