>From: Eric Thomas <[log in to unmask]>
>
>People who
>buy these  products don't want  me to mail them  a tape with  fixes: they
>want the fix  sent over the network  so they get it right  away and don't
>need to go to the tape vault and  all that. Not only that, but they don't
>want me to snail contracts, information  or even price lists either!
>
>If you
>insist on  snailing the legal/commercial information,  the customers will
>assume that you will do the same  with fixes, that they will have to type
>problem reports and FAX them to you,  in other words, that you work for a
>stone-age-mentality company  with which they  don't want to  do business.
 
I can certainly empathize with Eric's commercial concerns.  I think that
the key issue here is solicitation, rather than the actual use of a given
network to transmit the information.  For example, I'm on Sun Microsys-
tem's "sunflash" mailing list; I receive new product announcement, se-
curity warnings, conference invitiations, and the like via email.  Since
they informed of the list and I requested to be placed upon it, I have no
problem; had Sun simply added my name without my permission or request, I
would have hollered loud and long...
 
I have no problem whatsoever with the distribution of *user-requested*
materials via the Internet; I agree with Eric that users and businesses
alike have come to expect such facilities.  However, there is no legi-
timate rationale for *unrequested* mailings.
 
Let's open up the AUP just a bit; I should think that something like
 
        ACCEPTABLE USES INCLUDE:
 
        [...]
 
        * The distrubution of commercial material to individual users
          is acceptable IF AND ONLY IF the recipient has requested the
          information.  Distribution through electronic forums, such as
          mailing lists, is acceptable IF AND ONLY IF the forum in ques-
          tion explicitly allows, or requests, such distribution.
 
        [...]
 
 
        UNACCEPTABLE USES INCLUDE:
 
        [...]
 
        * The use of electronic communication facilities for unrequested
          mass mailings or unrequested commercial contact with individual
          users is unacceptable.
 
        [...]
 
would be an acceptable compromise.  Those individuals and/or lists
which welcome such things would be happy, and those which do not
could enjoy some protection from a barrage of junk email.  I would
not have a problem with Professor Schmo negotiating a purchase from
FoobleBlex International via email; I would have MAJOR problems if
FoobleBlex decided to email a new product announcement to every user
of my systems.
 
 
--Wes