Re: [wg-review] A Reply to Miles B. Whitener... Re: The owners of "the Internet" must manage it for their own benefit

[Sotiropoulos <sotiris@hermesnetwork.com>]

1/14/01 9:25:16 PM, Robin Miller <robin@minervan.com> wrote:

>So thats why I'm anti-spam - its worse than just clogging your mailbox like a
>junk flyer, from an Internet perspective. Spammers are costing networks money,
>lots of it sometimes. Lots of Net admins see that as theft, and I don't really
>blame them.  Of course the junk flyer is bad for trees - granted. But that has
>little to do with the Net. :)

Your point is well made and taken, but I don't believe that spam will ever be effectively eradicated.  Sure, efforts will/should be put forward by those 
affected, but not everybody will toe the line, or expect others to do so, or even care.  The simple fact is that pretty-well most businesses are willing to go 
to one extreme or another to get your attention.  Some extremes are more annoying than others to certain people, for different reasons.  You can't very 
well ban advertising/direct marketing altogether, and yet, Iagree that there should be some rules.   

However, traditional advertising concepts may simply not be applicable to the Net.  Traditonal advertising techniques generally apply to economies of 
scale... the bigger the company, the more effective it's advertising punch.  The net levels the playing field somewhat and allows for competition in many 
sectors.   This said, I can also envision some exaggerated concerns from some of the bigger advertising interests/communities, with respect to their 
competition's attempts to cut in on some opportunity or other.  

However, as I said, spam is not something that I agree with nor condone.  But I live with it, and I certainly won't have an aneurism or a stroke because of 
some spam in my mailbox.  Now, if I was a network administrator, I'd most likely be saying something else.  But, the world is far from being perfect for all of 
us, each of us have their own issues to deal with and that's what they (NetAdmins) get paid for...  I don't like or support the fact that people steal from 
others, but there will always be thieves no matter how many laws are instituted or measures taken. 

Now, if expensive access is an issue (as it clearly is for many Europeans), then that issue should be addressed in and of itself.  Perhaps through more 
competition?  

Sotiris Sotiropoulos
          Hermes Network, Inc.    


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