Weird URL

[Stacy Pober]

This is a bit off topic, but I was looking at a piece of spam email I
received and found the most convoluted URL I have ever seen: 

http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;555195;3452810;i?http://rd.yahoo.com/geohome/g/*http://00032100360014.com/@www.geocities.com/Heartland/Estates/5554/Phones/Phone.htm/?http://rd.yahoo.com/M=3D77122.826220.2557699.389576/S=3D2716149:NP/A=3D359579/?http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Estates/5554/Phones/Phone.htm

I couldn't help but be curious so I plugged it into my browser, where it
tries each domain referenced in the URL in turn.  I get a DNS failure
at  00032100360014.COM but interestingly enough, that IS a registered
domain according to my Sam Spade utility (registered to Geoecities).  

Okay, many spammers are actually net newbies, so it wouldn't be a great
shock if the URL was totally malformed, but I have to wonder what is the
point of the rerouting (trying each domain in turn).  Anyone know? 

I know spammers often reroute the mail to hide the true origination
point, but what's the point of rerouting browsers when you are
presumably trying to get them to click through to you? 

-- 
Stacy Pober
Information Alchemist
Manhattan College Libraries
spober at manhattan.edu
http://www.manhattan.edu/library/