preece (01/24/83)
#R:dvlcn:-8800:uicsl:5400003:000:1065 uicsl!preece Jan 24 07:38:00 1983 iPostal regulations require direct mailers to remove your name from their lists if you ask. My understanding is that they're perfectly willing to do so, but that there are a lot of them. There is also a central organization that provides a list like that to members of a direct mailers association. On the other hand, the ability to sell your name saves money for the organizations you deal with. If ACM and IEEE and the like couldn't sell their lists, you'd have to pay more to be a member. And once in a while you do get something interesting/worthwhile/amusing via direct mail advertising. I get a lot of junk mail, and I can't say it bothers me very much. If it does bother you, I don't think it would be hard for you to find the national organization that would get you off a lot of lists. (Most credit card compainies and organizations offer you the option either directly, perhaps with your application, or as an option, perhaps as an information box in their magazine with instrucitons for having your name deleted from their export list.) scott preece