ELNK fires TSR over Usenet Swen support posts
An Earthlink tech service rep was posting to the alt.provider.earthlink newsgroup on his own time to try to help users deal with the Swen virus attacks in mid-late September. He reports he was fired for it.
\r\n\r\nEarthlink is my own ISP. I've encouraged people to sue Earthlink or their own ISP for DoS for passing along junk such as the Swen virus -- many people had their 10 MB email allocation filled in a matter of hours, or minutes, at the peak of the attack. I've been grossly disappointed with ELNK's response in general -- useless tech support, and an absolute inability to get a handle on this for weeks. Now we find they're firing the people who're trying to help.
\r\n\r\nPost summary:
\r\n\r\n- \r\n
- [link|http://tinyurl.com/qmqs|First Swen post:] 2003-09-22 22:05:43 PST \r\n
- [link|http://tinyurl.com/qmqx|I am going to talk to someone @ work on Thursday] 2003-09-23 21:12:17 PST \r\n
- [link|http://tinyurl.com/qmqi|They fired me:] 2003-09-24 13:16:12 PST\r\n
The rest of "Knowledgeable Techy"'s posts can be found [link|http://groups.google.com/groups?q=%22silvergw%40msn.com%22&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&scoring=d&start=0&sa=N&filter=0|here].
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nFrom: Knowledgable Techy (silvergw@msn.com)\r\n\r\n
\r\n[link|http://groups.google.com/groups?q=%22silvergw%40msn.com%22&start=10&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&scoring=d&selm=3f725b62%241_3%40corp.newsgroups.com&rnum=17&filter=0|Subject:n Re: Helping Earthlink fight the Swen worm]
\r\nNewsgroups: alt.provider.earthlink</br>\r\nDate: 2003-09-24 20:03:32 PST</br>\r\n\r\n\r\nEX bosses David. I was fired today over trying to help you all out here. I\r\ndidn't even get a chance to bring in my printed out posts - they already\r\nknow of them they read every post here guys, otherwise they wouldn't have\r\nknown I've been talking to you all trying to help you all out...guess I'm\r\nnot allowed to do that - not allowed to help out the customers on my own\r\ntime. So I can't do anymroe than you all are doing - complaining about\r\nelnk's lack of wanting to help on this matter- its not their concern...their\r\nresponsibility is these TWO things:\r\n\r\n1) can they connect & browse? (yes/no) - if yes - DONE - if no, then get\r\nthem (tech the situation) to get em online & browsing.\r\n2) can they send&recieve email (same as above)\r\nEND OF CONCERN/RESPONSIBILITY.\r\n\r\nKINDA NICE EH?\r\n\r\nSo I was doing just that- helping you all out - and i get fired over it.\r\nGota love big corporations eh?\r\n\r\nWhat am I doing about it? HELL I'M STILL HERE AREN'T I? hahhahah - they\r\ndidn't shut up this guy. I'm a paying subscriber so they can't do anything,\r\ni'm just like the rest of you - a complaining customer. its my God/Goddess\r\ngiven right and I'm voicing it :)\r\n\r\nTim\r\n"David 'db' Butler" <ob1NOSPAMdb@earthlink.net> wrote in message\r\nnews:ob1NOSPAMdb-C92ED4.21242424092003@news.easynews.com...\r\n> Amen, your bosses REALLY have a deaf ear on this!\r\n>\r\n> In article <3f711a0a$1_3@corp.newsgroups.com>,\r\n> "An Earthlink Agent" <silvergw@earthlink.net> wrote:\r\n>\r\n> > Ok folks, after reading all this - I am going to talk to someone @ work on\r\n> > Thursday. I understand all yoru situations and I do cause I am geting same\r\n> > thing. I do understand cause I'm also a customer as well as an employee. I\r\n> > will honestly take it up and get it resolved and reply with what we can do\r\n> > about it and what ELNK will do about it. How is that? Is that fair?\r\n> >\r\n> > TR\r\n> > "Bob Musicant" <musicant@kindlydontspamme.com> wrote in message\r\n> > news:%s5cb.23222$JM.10218782@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net...\r\n> > > "An Earthlink Tier 1 Agent" <silvergw@earthlink.net> wrote in message\r\n> > > news:3f705fdf$1_3@corp.newsgroups.com...\r\n> > > > uh, I would highly advise NOT TO DO THIS. We may see it as an attack and\r\n> > > > erase your account! The way to get rid of Swen virus is listed in this\r\n> > > > link:\r\n> > > >\r\n> > http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.swen.a@mm.html\r\n> > > >\r\n> > > > Follow those instruction and it wil get rid of it - also delete all email in\r\n> > > > sent, deletd folder etc. If I can be of any further assistance let me know\r\n> > > > HERE.\r\n> > > >\r\n> > > > Again do NOT forward mail tothe sales team or any other corp.earthlink.net\r\n> > > > we usualy know about the virus's before YOU do and in any instance it is NOT\r\n> > > > our responsibility to make sure email is clean of all virus's. that is the\r\n> > > > responsbility of yoru anti-virus software.\r\n> > > >\r\n> > > > T.R\r\n> > > > Earthlink Tech Support Tier 1 (soon 2)\r\n> > > > silvergw@earthlink.net\r\n> > >\r\n> > > TR,\r\n> > > This really is an extraordinary situation. The problem is NOT that we who\r\n> > > are complaining have a virus in our own system. The problem is that our\r\n> > > mailboxes are being bombarded with messages from those who are. And using\r\n> > > filters is NOT a solution. The problem is that the 10 meg of server space\r\n> > > allocated to an individual account is being loaded with this stuff. The\r\n> > > question is how to keep it off the server in the first place. I have a hard\r\n> > > time understanding how ELNK can be so cavalier about a legitimate problem\r\n> > > affecting so many of its customers.\r\n> > > Bob Musicant\r\n> > >\r\n> > >\r\n> > >\r\n> >\r\n> >\r\n> >\r\n> >\r\n> > -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----\r\n> > http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!\r\n> > -----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =-----\r\n>\r\n> --\r\n> David 'db' Butler, Consultant\r\n> Acoustics by db\r\n> "...all the rest are just brokers"\r\n> now on the web at http://www.db-engineering.com\r\n> Boston, Mass\r\n> Phone 617 969-0585 Fax 617 964-1590\r\n\r\n
Edits: added add'l post links
