Re: legitimate unsolicited commercial e-mail vs spam

From: Kathy Gill <sassy.webgrrl_at_about.com>
Date: Wed 3 Nov 99 11:51:11 +0800

DAVID ROSS WROTE:
> I am writing a paper taking the position that legitimate
> unsolicited commercial e-mail (e.g. business to business, or
> directed at website owners, complying with proposed/actual
> federal and/or state legislation, with easy removal from
> mailing list, etc) should be distinguished from "bad" spam
> (e.g. fake return addresses, pyramid plans, pornography,
> etc.), and should be permitted (if not actually encouraged).


David, I've been offlist for quite a while -- so it's
possible I'm misunderstanding your question.

However - IMO, there is No Such Thing as "legitimate
UNSOLICITED commercial e-mail."

If it's unsolicited, it's *spam*. Why?

a) Some folks still pay long-distance charges to dial in to
collect mail -- rural America

b) Some folks still have measured ISP time (no flat rate
local calls) -- other countries than USA

c) Many - MANY - providers are charging for DSL based on
monthly throught-put - USA

d) FCC is reconsidering how ISPs should be paying for their
lines -- local or long distance? -- and the result of that
decision could impact user fees.

e) All the folks who get the mail and are PO'ed will write
their ISP, causing increased load on support costs (labor to
respond) -- plus the hardware costs with tape backup of junk

Now, if I'm misreading your question, and you're talking
about "Opt-In" programs, I apologize.

I believe that folks are annoyed at the lack of control over
the advertising messages that are pushed at them every day
during *all* waking hours -- and are taking a principled
stance that *this* medium will not be "business as usual."


Kathy E. Gill
425.580.6459
mailto:kathy.gill_at_attws.com

Asking a question is only embarrassing just for that moment.
Not asking is embarrassing and it will haunt you for the
rest of your life. Japanese Proverb




Received on Tue Nov 02 1999 - 21:51:11 CST