Shark Tank: Say, that might work!

This pilot fish is a third-tier support tech for a big retailer in the U.K. "I received a call in my queue asking me to blacklist an e-mail address," says fish. "Reason: The e-mailer was a former employee who was mailing his former colleagues with abusive material."

Fish ponders the request, then calls the HR department staffer who sent the request.

 I could block e-mail from that address, fish says. But the abusing e-mail is being sent through Hotmail. If fish bans that address, the former employee can just get a new one.

If that continued, fish could end up banning all Hotmail accounts.

And then the abusive e-mailer could do the same thing at Gmail, and then Yahoo, and then every other free e-mail provider.

Reports fish, "I said to the HR person, 'Why don't you just write to him telling him to stop mailing the staff and that if he didn't stop you'd take action?'

"He thought for a moment, and then said, 'That's an idea.'

"I closed the call, citing 'nontechnical solution implemented.'"

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Shark Tank: Say, that might work!

This pilot fish is a third-tier support tech for a big retailer in the U.K. "I received a call in my queue asking me to blacklist an e-mail address," says fish. "Reason: The e-mailer was a former employee who was mailing his former colleagues with abusive material."Fish ponders the request, then calls the HR department staffer who sent the request. I could block e-mail from that address, fish says. But the abusing e-mail is being sent through Hotmail. If fish bans that address, the former employee can just get a new one.

Shark Tank: Say, that might work!

This pilot fish is a third-tier support tech for a big retailer in the U.K. "I received a call in my queue asking me to blacklist an e-mail address," says fish. "Reason: The e-mailer was a former employee who was mailing his former colleagues with abusive material."Fish ponders the request, then calls the HR department staffer who sent the request. I could block e-mail from that address, fish says. But the abusing e-mail is being sent through Hotmail. If fish bans that address, the former employee can just get a new one.

Yahoo!/Microsoft! merger! talks! fail! (and game over)

Mercy! It's Monday's IT Blogwatch: in which Microsoft is merging with Yahoo! Isn't. Is. Isn't. Is too. Not to mention what happens when Mario leaves the Mushroom Kingdom and returns to Brooklyn as a mushroom addict deadbeat plumber...John Blau reports::Reports that Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. are in talks over a possible acquisition or merger have come as anything but a surprise to analysts who question not if, but when, a deal will happen. Microsoft and Yahoo, which have held informal merger talks in the past, are at the negotiating table again, driven largely by the rising dominance of Google Inc. in the online advertising market...The possible early-stage negotiations over an acquisition, a merger or some other type of deal come on the heels of Google's move last month to snatch up online advertising powerhouse DoubleClick Inc. for $3.1 billion.

Yahoo!/Microsoft! merger! talks! fail! (and game over)

Mercy! It's Monday's IT Blogwatch: in which Microsoft is merging with Yahoo! Isn't. Is. Isn't. Is too. Not to mention what happens when Mario leaves the Mushroom Kingdom and returns to Brooklyn as a mushroom addict deadbeat plumber...John Blau reports::Reports that Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. are in talks over a possible acquisition or merger have come as anything but a surprise to analysts who question not if, but when, a deal will happen. Microsoft and Yahoo, which have held informal merger talks in the past, are at the negotiating table again, driven largely by the rising dominance of Google Inc. in the online advertising market...The possible early-stage negotiations over an acquisition, a merger or some other type of deal come on the heels of Google's move last month to snatch up online advertising powerhouse DoubleClick Inc. for $3.1 billion.

Yahoo!/Microsoft! merger! talks! fail! (and game over)

Mercy! It's Monday's IT Blogwatch: in which Microsoft is merging with Yahoo! Isn't. Is. Isn't. Is too. Not to mention what happens when Mario leaves the Mushroom Kingdom and returns to Brooklyn as a mushroom addict deadbeat plumber...John Blau reports::Reports that Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. are in talks over a possible acquisition or merger have come as anything but a surprise to analysts who question not if, but when, a deal will happen. Microsoft and Yahoo, which have held informal merger talks in the past, are at the negotiating table again, driven largely by the rising dominance of Google Inc. in the online advertising market...The possible early-stage negotiations over an acquisition, a merger or some other type of deal come on the heels of Google's move last month to snatch up online advertising powerhouse DoubleClick Inc. for $3.1 billion.