On Wed, 20 Dec 1995 15:50:11 -0800, Sylvie McGee wrote:
>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.
 
The latest ploy seems to be software that by-passes lists and delivers
direct to individuals from email lists obtained by crawlers and 'bots' of
one form or another.  I don't pay by the byte so the ones I get are merely
a nuisance, however, those who do pay by the connect second or byte are
subsidizing unwanted advertising.
 
I've already emailed my Congressional representatives and asked for
legislation making unsolicted advertising emailers subject to civil
penalties (judgments for $5 or $10 PER PIECE of uwanted email).  I
recommend everyone send similar requests to their legislaters.
 
What I'd envision is waiting until at least several hundred $$$ of
documented instances built up, and then going to small claims court,
obtaining a judment and sending it to the miscreants local sherriff along
with assigning the proceeds to that sherriff (or charity of the sheriff's
choosing).  If a bunch of people did that, lots of over burdened under
funded sheriffs would be happy and I expect unsolicted email ads would
cease.
 
An alternative would simply be to make junk email as illegal as junk fax
(same reason, receiving unwanted faxes costs the recipient--fax paper,
toner, etc) something.  Perhaps we could all install mail filters that
would autoforward all junk email to our Congressional delegation?  That
probably would stir action also :-)
 
/s Murphy A. Sewall <[log in to unmask]> (860) 486-2489 voice
   Professor of Marketing                          (860) 456-7725 fax
   http://mktg.sba.uconn.edu/MKT/Faculty/Sewall.html