Mark Mumma, if you weren't aware, is the anti-spammer who sued Omega World Travel a/k/a cruise.com over spam allegations, and lost. It seems to me that this may have been a situation where hubris and anger took control, getting in the way of facts and logic.
After all, this is the guy who let his mouth get the better of him when being interviewed by Ken Magill. Page four is the, uh, I guess you'd say, the best bit, where Mumma instructs Ken Magill to return the call of Omega's lawyer and "you guys plan your next gay weekend together." Right after bizarrely telling Ken, "well good luck to you in prison."
According to John Levine, Ed Falk, and others, it looks like Mumma lost big, to the tune of $2.5 million in damages, Omega having won the defamation lawsuit it brought against him. Ken Magill's overview and analysis is spot on, in my opinion.
I can't tell for sure whether or not the mail in question was spam. So I'll set that aside for the moment. But clearly, calling people names, risking (and ultimately committing) defamation is unwise. Sticking to the facts would likely help prevent that. Nor is it wise to agree to talk to a reporter then flip out and start to insult both him and the other party involved. Nor is it wise to refuse the settle the defamation allegations, even after you lose your anti-spam suit, setting yourself up to lose even more. Nor is it wise to tell people you're going to sue them if they don't stop emailing you, without telling them your email address. Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. I could go on for hours.
I hope somebody obtains all the court documents and uses them as the "how not to behave" section of a book on how to fight spam.
May 30, 2007 update: More on this from Ken Magill.
Anti-Spammers Distance Themselves from Mumma
Belligerant Anti-Spammer Watch: Mumma's Claims Debunked
