On Wed, 20 Dec 1995, Robert Kapela wrote:
 
> It is a difficult issue because businesses need to be able to advertise =
> to potential consumers who have e-mail addresses, yet on the Internet =
> consumers (for the most part) do not want to receive junk e-mail and get =
> spammed.
 
No, they don't *need* to do this - they *want* to. There's a big
difference - and if all of us learned it, the world would probably be a
better place.
 
I don't *need* to be on the internet - though I greatly *want* to be -
and so I PAY FOR the priviledge. I do not want to PAY FOR junk mail. And
if I want to find a product (which I have, over the past several
months...), I go cruising the WEB. Businesses should invest more energy
in getting their homepages listed on search engines, and less on the
electronic equivalent of direct (and largely wasted) mail...
 
> 1.  How do you balance the need of businesses to advertise or =
> communicate to Internet consumers using 'Broadcast E-Mail' or 'Mailing =
> Lists' while not infringing on the rights of  consumers?
>
On the Quaker lists we refuse advertising - even of Quaker
goods/services. We will *very* occasionally accept a pointer post (For
example: I have information on Quaker quilts produced by Friends'
School....write me directly for more information....) This form of
pointed places the burden back on the sender, and makes them consider
whether they truly want to deal with the ensuing direct correspondence. I
would add that we *only* do this for regular subscribers, and only
because frankly the Quaker world is a little on the small side, as are
our lists...
 
> 2.      Should we as a mailing list host, but not owner try to police what =
> businesses and individuals are sending and to whom they are sending it? =
> If we do we could be legally liable?
 
Certainly when I receive spams I communicate with the ISP of the sender -
and they are the ones to take action. Virtually all ISPs I have dealt
with will terminate service for spamming. Some give a warning to their
users - others cut you off cold.
 
> > 3.    Does anyone have any policies or
procedures they use? > > Spencer-Davis Group
 
Why not talk with other local ISPs? I think they are more analogous to
your situation than listowners, who are on the other end, burdened with
sorting out the mess when these things get through....
 
Take care,
 
Sylvie McGee
Co-Administrator - Quaker-L/Quaker-P
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University Friends Meeting - seattle wa