Re: Spam

mark@unicorn.com
Fri, 5 Feb 1999 03:05:52 -0800 (PST)

NetSurfer [netsurf@sersol.com] wrote:
>First off laws which allow for the prosecution of businesses which
>advertise via spam has absolutely *nothing* to do with encryption or
>anonymity with the exception that the use of falsified headers IN SPAM is
>treated as the fraud it is.

So spam sent through anonymous remailers will be totally legal because the remailer puts a 'real' email address on the message? Spam from 'real' email addresses will be totally legal? Gee, that will really reduce the amount of spam I get.

>Well the law has been in place for a number
>of years, and has upheld on appeals, and you are still able to practice
>your freedom of speech (except by sending unsolicited faxes to people) and
>you still have anonymity

Duh, that law requires every fax to include a valid telephone number that it was sent from. It *bans* fax anonymity. Get a clue sometime.

>This is simply anti-theft and anti-netabuse legislation. If you are not
>stealing from people and hijacking other peoples mail servers and network
>feeds you have nothing to fear.

Bullshit. Anyone who wants anonymity and privacy on the Net has everything to fear from fanatics like you and Mike. If spam is legal when sent through anonymous remailers then spammers will just use them. If it's not, then anonymous remailers will be shut down completely and utterly, and there will be no more anonymity on the Net.

>Talk to the owners of the ISP's who have
>had to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars just to protect their
>networks from the criminals and ask them what they think of spamming and
>about laws to curb it.

As far as I'm aware, I'm the only person on this list who's had to waste days dealing with spammer attacks on his domain. And I'm the one who's arguing against rabid, abusive anti-spam laws. You just don't seem to have a clue as to what you're asking for.

>I prefer
>arguments of logic rather than insulting the people I'm carrying on a
>dialogue with - its much more effective.

Then give us some logic. Answer some questions. Stop making assertions which have no basis in reality. And stop claiming that you're the good guys and we're supporting the "evil" spammers, when you're trying to enforce a police state on the Net. Erase the anti-spam fanatic memes from your head and start dealing with reality.

Mark