Re: A question for the list...

[ktabic <lists () ktabic co uk>]

On Sat, 2003-05-31 at 01:55, morning_wood wrote:
> > > <snip, comments below>
> > > > You're missing a critical problem here; evidence.  Collecting evidence
> from
> > > > foreign companies (the biggest spammer may be American, but he uses
> foreign
> > > > servers and ISPs) is a lot harder than it is from companies based
> here.
>
>  Exactly what do you mean by "evidence" ? The use indicates a "collection of
> facts for legal purposes" What for? Why? I am generally failing to see
> anything that cam be prosecuted against by sending "buy this" mail. I
> suppose I will try to sue "Joes Market" and the U.S.P.S for all their
> unsolicited "special offers " and "sales"... or is that not the same
> somehow?
The comparison between email and postal mail always fails, when it comes
down to who pays for it. I don't pay a penny for the junk mail that
comes through my front door, the company sending it does. I do pay for
my email. The line rental on the phone (I don't use my phone for voice
calls) and the monthly subscription to my ISP. 
Closer to the law in Europe, is unsolicted telephone salesmen. In the UK
(and IIRC the US as well) there are lists of people who do not want to
recieve telesales calls, and any company that persists in calling those
numbers is liable for a hefty fine. These could well be ligit companies
with ligit products but they still break the law, by advertising to
people who have stated their desire to not receive these calls.
It is not what is beng advertised, it is how it is being advertised.
There is similar in place for faxes (which have higher costs than the
telephone).
With spam, there is no opt-out (generally considored by those I have
asked to be the least preffered option of the opt-out/opt-in options).
Indeed, the whole opt-out idea is being abused by spammers now (in my
inbox is 2 peices of spam stating that if I click here I will be removed
from the list. Yeah, right, sure I will be...) As for opt-in, I have 4
that claim I have (you have opted to receive mail about ... if this is
not corrrect please click here...) I have no particular need for viagra,
and really don't need to know the latest special prices.
It's not what is being advertised, it's how. You just stand more of a
chance of getting the illegal stuff with email. The only way to avoid
spam is not to recieve email, and that unacceptable.

ktabic
-- 
Woot!


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------