Not only have we had to distance ourselves from certain spammers who have tried to use us as a reference point, but we have been directly telephoning those who spam incompetently.

At times spammers have used us as a relay and we have had to shut them down. Then, occasionally, a burst of spam crosses our inbox where the spammer neglects to obscure their phone number.

We actively call them up to explain why their approach to bulk mailing is inappropriate, and to encourage them to change their ways.

Tonight we called an art dealer in France (and spoke to them in French), a couple of weeks ago we called a company in Perth.

Spam is a reality, but as long as we have to live with it it should be done professionally.

That means acting in accordance with the obvious ethical constraints that surround the notion of bulk-mailing, and we encourage our customers to think along the same lines.