Michael S. Lorrey, <retroman@together.net>, writes:
> Using automated systems to mine the net of email addresses of people you do
> not know and have never indicated an interest in knowing you or anybody like
> you, your company, or your product, nor has indicated any interest in your
> customers products is already illegal, it just hasn't been tested yet in
> court. All someone has to do is apply the old mail and wire tampering, fraud,
> and harassment laws to data miners and spammers.
Really? Then I guess I should go to prison. Recently I saw a reference to an interesting-sounding crypto paper published earlier this year, but I couldn't find the paper on the web. I sent unsolicited email to the author asking if he would mind sending me a copy. He did not know me, he has never indicated any interest in knowing me or anyone like me, or my company, or my product, or my customer's products. From what you say, what I did is illegal and I should go to prison.
No doubt many more people will end up in the same boat if we continue to criminalize behavior as some people are suggesting.
O brave new world...
Hal