On Sat, 23 Jul 1994 18:01:26 -0700, Anita Cohen-Williams wrote:
>     This is a note to let people know that there is a bookseller out there
>who is sending his entire book catalog out as a personal note.
>     It is listed as Catalog 43, Electronic version, Summer 1994, New and Used
>Books on the Ancient World. The bookseller is listed as B&B Smith (Bill),
>Booksellers. His email is [log in to unmask]
>     The catalog consists of about six posts, all huge. I don't know how he
>got my address.
>     Ithought that this sort of thing was illegal?  Can't a "junk mail" list
>be created to handle this sort of crap?)
 
I expect B&B Smith got subscriber listings from one or more of the
librarian's lists and is trying to skirt the wrath of list readers in
general by sending hundreds of individual messages rather than massively
posting to one or more lists.
 
The practice is not illegal but may violate the appropriate use standards
of the network provider (in this case America On Line).  A "junk mail" list
wouldn't help.  The B&B Smith's of the world would assume (probably
correctly) that very few members of their target audience would bother
reading such a list, so unsolicited ads would continue to be directed at
lists or individuals.
 
Frankly, sending unsolicited copies of entire catalogs in separate email
messages is a flagrant waste of bandwidth.  It really doesn't take much
imagination to post a 10 line message to an appropriate newsgroup or two
indicating that an electronic copy of the catalog is available and how to
obtain it.  The assumption that greater sales are to be had by assaulting
folks with promotion to are inclined to buy about
how to obtain specific information needs to be debunked by boycotting B&B
Smith and similar dullards.
 
The other action you, and others receiving unwanted, inappropriate email
should take is to complain directly to the host postmaster
([log in to unmask] in this case).  Most hosts will remind their users that
such practices violate their acceptable use agreements, and will if the
practice persists, terminate offending user's access.
 
/s Murphy A. Sewall <[log in to unmask]> (203) 486-2489 voice
   Professor of Marketing                          (203) 486-5246 fax