An EFF respose anti-Goodmail coalition resorts to misquotes

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Cindy Cohn <cindy () eff org>
Date: March 20, 2006 12:16:06 PM EST
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Re: [IP] anti-Goodmail coalition resorts to misquotes

Esther Dyson must recognize that ordinary people who receive email  
also send it. She said she thinks that her ex-boyfriends should pay  
more to send mail.  How is that consistent with AOL's strident  
assertions that consumers will never pay for email and that "nothing  
will change" for nonpaying senders?

I think it's fair to point out that on the ultimate question of  
whether email will remain free under AOL's scheme, Esther actually  
agrees with our Coalition.  Now if AOL would only acknowledge this we  
could have an honest debate about whether that's a world we want or not.

Also, I find it strange and somewhat sad that Esther would resort to  
accusing EFF of wanting to stop innovation and progress online.  
C'mon.  We have lots of respect for Esther here at EFF, even when we  
disagree, and I hope that we can have an honest discussion without  
that sort of ridiculous rhetoric.

There are plenty of ways to do "certified" or "digitally signed"  
email without having ISPs choose winners and charge per message.   
We'd like to see a robust market in such tools. After all, EFF helped  
free encryption from government control so that things like digital  
signatures could flourish. AOL's plan will hurt, rather than foster,  
that market.

Trying to engage the public about the real consequences of AOL's plan  
isn't anti-progress. It's educating the market. And the market should  
get a chance to debate whether we want top live in a "pay to send"  
world or not.

BTW, here's EFF's latest blog post on the debate:
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/

Cindy




On Mar 20, 2006, at 8:27 AM, David Farber wrote:

> Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: Esther Dyson <edyson () edventure com>
> Date: March 20, 2006 11:03:37 AM EST
> To: dave () farber net
> Cc: Christina Koukkos <christina () release1-0 com>
> Subject: anti-Goodmail coalition resorts to misquotes
>
> For the record, I said that *sending* most mail will cost money,  
> and that much of that money will end up being paid to the  
> recipients.  Read below and then follow the link to the NYT to see  
> what I *really* said.
>
> I find it ironic that many of the very people who want to teach  
> evolution in the schools (a position I agree with it), want to stop  
> it on the Internet.
>
> Esther Dyson
>
>
> > From: "Trevor FitzGibbon" <tfitzgibbon () fenton com>
> > To: <edyson () edventure com>
> > Subject: Dyson Blows AOL's Cover on E-Tax
> > Sender: "Trevor FitzGibbon" <tfitzgibbon () fenton com>
> >
> >
> >
> > DearAOL.com Coalition
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: Trevor Fitzgibbon, 202-246-5303
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Monday, March 20, 2006 Alex Howe, Fenton Communications, 202.822.5200
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > In New York Times, AOL email tax supporter says
> >
> > it’s “only right” that in future “most e-mail will cost money”
> >
> >
> >
> >   AOL’s claim that consumers will ultimately pay “Nothing. Zero.  
> > Nada.”
> >
> > is debunked by prominent fan of AOL plan
> >
> >
> >
> > DearAOL.com Coalition’s “two-tiered Internet” warning is  
> > vindicated by Esther Dyson
> >
> >
> >
> > On Friday’s New York Times op-ed page, AOL email tax supporter  
> > Esther Dyson revealed the truth: AOL’s proposed email tax will  
> > lead to a world where sending email is no longer free -- and she  
> > likes it that way.
> >
> >
> >
> > “Today, AOL’s own supporter let the cat out of the bag,” said  
> > Timothy Karr, campaign director of Free Press, a national,  
> > nonpartisan organization working on media reform and Internet  
> > policy issues. “AOL’s email tax undermines the foundation of a  
> > free and open Internet – ushering in a new era of pay-to-send  
> > communications online. Many who are rooting for AOL’s pay-to-send  
> > proposal to succeed are those who believe in a two-tiered Internet  
> > of haves and have-nots, with huge barriers of entry for the little  
> > guy.”
> >
> >
> >
> > Dyson is an industry insider, an investor in technology start-ups,  
> > and a former board member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (a  
> > DearAOL.com coalition member). Her New York Times column Friday  
> > was called “You’ve Got Goodmail.” Goodmail is the vendor that  
> > would implement AOL’s pay-to-send proposal, and would share  
> > hundreds of millions in profits with AOL from the email tax.
> >
> >
> >
> > Dyson wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > “Goodmail has been met with a barrage of criticism and calls for a  
> > de facto boycott from several nonprofit and public interest  
> > groups. These organizations seem to think that all Internet mail  
> > must always be free, just because it was free before. …Of course,  
> > the critics say, this is the first step. Pretty soon all mail will  
> > cost money, and then the free, open world of the Internet will be  
> > closed to poor people, nonprofits and other good guys, while  
> > multinational conglomerates fill their ever-growing pockets. I  
> > agree that pretty soon sending most e-mail will cost money, but I  
> > think that's only right.” (<http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/17/ 
> > opinion/17dyson.html>http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/17/opinion/ 
> > 17dyson.html )
> >
> >
> >
> > Dyson’s acknowledgement undermines AOL’s PR scheme for its pay-to- 
> > send proposal, which centers on convincing the public that their  
> > email tax is “voluntary” and “nothing will change” for everyday  
> > emailers.
> >
> >
> >
> > AOL recently emailed customers who were concerned about their  
> > email tax proposal, saying Goodmail is “a purely voluntary” option  
> > for “large commercial companies and other organizations” and “in  
> > no way means that mailers need to pay to send messages.”  
> > Additionally, AOL went so far as to say that after their email tax  
> > is implemented, ultimately “Consumers pay nothing. Zero.  
> > Nada.” (Source: <http://www.nysun.com/article/28345? 
> > page_no=2>http://www.nysun.com/article/28345?page_no=2)
> >
> >
> >
> > The Silicon Valley-based San Jose Mercury News initially dealt a  
> > blow to this claim with a March 5 editorial saying “separate,  
> > unequal systems” would develop from AOL’s email tax. It explained,  
> > “The temptation would be to neglect the free e-mail system, whose  
> > reliability would decline. Eventually, everyone would migrate to  
> > the fee-based system. There would be no way around the AOL  
> > tollbooth.” (<http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/ 
> > opinion/14023726.htm>http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/ 
> > news/opinion/14023726.htm )
> >
> >
> >
> > On Friday, AOL’s assurances were again called into question – this  
> > time by AOL’s own supporter, Dyson, who said that AOL’s pay-to- 
> > send scheme is a significant step toward a world where “most e- 
> > mail will cost money” – which she calls “only right.”
> >
> >
> >
> > "Esther Dyson apparently believes that email being free is a  
> > problem, but the DearAOL.com Coalition believes free email has  
> > been a critical part of the digital revolution -- the ability to  
> > take a good idea and spread it from 5 to 5 million people without  
> > a big bankroll has expanded democratic
> >
> > participation, increased economic innovation, and bolstered free  
> > speech," said Cindy Cohn, Legal Director of the  Electronic  
> > Frontier Foundation.
> >
> >
> >
> > The DearAOL.com Coalition represents over 15 million people  
> > combined – and has grown from 50 member organizations to 600 in  
> > less than three weeks. It’s “Open Letter To AOL” opposing AOL’s  
> > email tax has been signed by over 35,000 everyday Internet users  
> > online. Coalition members include Craigslist founder Craig  
> > Newmark, the Association of Cancer Online Resources, MoveOn.org  
> > Civic Action, Gun Owners of America, the Electronic Frontier  
> > Foundation, Free Press, and others.
> >
> >
> >
> > More information about the DearAOL.com Coalition and a list of all  
> > coalition members are located at <http://www.dearaol.com/ 
> > >www.dearaol.com.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ###
>
>
>
> Esther Dyson              Always make new mistakes!
> Editor, Release 1.0
>
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>
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********************************************************
Cindy Cohn                              ---- Cindy () eff org
Legal Director                  ---- www.eff.org
Electronic Frontier Foundation
454 Shotwell Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 436-9333 x108
(415) 436-9993 (fax)




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