Netcom Is Spared Threat, Vows to Stop ‘Spam’

A group of activists has backed down from a threat to disrupt business at Netcom On-Line Communication Services Inc. after the company took steps to cut the number of marketing messages it allowed its customers to post on the Internet. The group had threatened to delete or cancel all messages originating from Netcom bound for Usenet--a sort of electronic bulletin board where Internet users post messages discussing topics from nuclear physics to politics to Madonna. San Jose-based Netcom, a unit of telephone service provider ICG Communications Inc., is one of the largest Internet service providers. Netcom said it complied with the activists’ demand and installed software that would prevent direct marketers from flooding the global computer network with torrents of unwanted advertisements, or “spam.” ICG shares rose 25 cents to close at $26.56 on Nasdaq.