Bill wrote:

Does anyone have any theory as to who is responsible for these
anti-brand-name postings?

Some people are "giving type" people and like to share.

If that's true in this case, then should there be more postings from the
same author, on different topics perhaps?

A google groups search for posts by the author " shows
posts with these subjects:

- Save Money
- Not Rocket Science

In these newsgroups:

- uk.people.consumers
- misc.kids.consumers
- misc.kids.health
- misc.consumer
- misc.consumer.house
- misc.consumers
- misc.consumers.home
- misc.consumers.house
- alt.consumer
- alt.consumer.free-stuff
- alt.consumers
- alt.consumers.experiences
- aus.consumers
- alt.pharm.indust
- alt.pharmacy.health.informatics
- alt.make.money
- americast.usa-today.money
- americast.usa-today.news
- americast.ushead.money
- alt.alternative.health
- soc.senior.health+fitness
- soc.senior.issues
- net.medicine.public-health.general
- net.medicine.public-health.drugs
- net.medicine.research.general
- net.medicine.support.general

In not one of those cases, where the post spawned a conversational
thread, did "Dr. Smith" return to the thread to participate in the
conversation.

Here we see the same message posted 5 times to alt.health within the
span of a few minutes:

http://tinyurl.com/ybey4o9

These posts have also been made by someone using the handle "Ziggy" to
these newsgroups:

- microsoft.public.biztalk.general
- microsoft.public.biztalk.jumpstart
- microsoft.public.biztalk.newuser
- microsoft.public.biztalk.server
- microsoft.public.biztalk.xsharp
- microsoft.public.bookshelf
- microsoft.public.br.applicationcenter
- microsoft.public.br.certificacoes
- microsoft.public.br.design.gallery
- alt.fan.states.new-york
- alt.fan.states.north-carolina
- alt.fan.states.north-dakota
- alt.fan.states.ohio
- alt.fan.states.oklahoma
- alt.fan.states.oregon
- alt.fan.states.pennslvania
- alt.fan.states.rhode-island
- alt.fan.states.south-carolina
- alt.fan.states.south-dakota
- alt.fan.states.tennessee
- alt.fan.states.texas
- alt.fan.states.utah
- alt.fan.states.vermont
- alt.fan.states.virginia
- alt.fan.states.washington
- alt.fan.states.west-virginia
- cmi.consumer
- free.uk.scotland.help-consumers
- can.consumers
- rec.photo.35mm
- rec.music.trumpet
- rec.music.makers.piano
- rec.games.chess
- comp.music.midi
- alt.tv.tech.hdtv
- alt.tv.tech
- alt.music.home-studio

And probably hundreds if not thousands of other newsgroups.

If this doesn't constitute usenet spamming, then nothing does.

Some people are "more intelligent" than others and teach others
what they know.

This is not teaching. This is spamming.

For example these people might see others with financial
difficulties spending their money foolishly. And they are
simply pointing out ways to better manage money. And thus
rectify the financial difficulties in question.

Do you believe it is proper to post messages like this to usenet, to
hundreds or more groups?

If you believe that, then there is nothing that can't be justified when
it comes to mass usenet posting. Then nothing can really be classified
as abuse or spam when it comes to usenet according to that logic.

I believe these posts are some sort of professionally orchestrated
effort, perhaps by a marketing company that's been contracted by a
generic product manufacturer, to promote generic products in the minds
of consumers. We don't know exactly what sort of generic product class
is being promoted, and that's probably intentional (it would give away
too much information if a specific product class was identified in these
spams).

I would think that we're looking at the generic pharmaceutical market as
the target for these posts, given that expenditure for drugs is
increasing, the population is aging and drug purchases are growing, and
drug manufacturers (brand name and generic) are always spending money
promoting their products.

I believe we are looking at the results of a marketing or PR firm that's
been hired to promote generic drugs as an alternative to brand-name
alternatives, and one area of their focus is to spam usenet with these
postings.