achilles@pro-angmar.UUCP (David Holland) (02/06/91)
The Lotus Marketplace affair is only a symptom of a more fundamental problem:
junk mail. People will continue to sell mailing lists and consumer information
as long as it is economically feasible to conduct mass mailings.
Raising postage rates is not the solution; that will put useful outfits, like,
say, Performance Bicycle Shop, out of business along with the "You may have
won $1,000,000" people. I suggest the following:
Require that any person, company, or organization sending mail at anything
lower than the rates available to us mere mortals be able to show proof that
the victims indeed wish to receive the mail. A logistical nightmare? No, not
at all. The USPS wouldn't have to do anything; any company that sent junk mail
to someone who didn't want it could be sued, by that person, for $$$.
Few companies would want to risk that, so the volume of junk mail we all
receive would drop. Plus, the load on the postal service - and on landfills
everywhere - would be decreased dramatically. And, of course, anybody who
*really* wanted to receive all the mail could easily sign up someplace.
Those companies that exist solely to send junk mail would probably go bust,
but that's probably a blessing. :-)
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David A. Holland Internet: pro-angmar!achilles@alphalpha.com
UUCP: uunet!alphalpha!pro-angmar!achilles
#include <pic/stupid.h> Note - if alphalpha bounces, try "alfalfa" instead.
#include <disclaimer.h> As a LAST RESORT use Fidonet 1:322/337.minich@unx2.ucc.okstate.edu (Robert Minich) (02/07/91)
by achilles@pro-angmar.UUCP (David Holland): | The Lotus Marketplace affair is only a symptom of a more fundamental | problem: junk mail. People will continue to sell mailing lists and consumer | information as long as it is economically feasible to conduct mass mailings. ... | Require that any person, company, or organization sending mail at anything | lower than the rates available to us mere mortals be able to show proof that | the victims indeed wish to receive the mail. A logistical nightmare? No, not | at all. The USPS wouldn't have to do anything; any company that sent junk | mail to someone who didn't want it could be sued, by that person, for $$$. ... | Those companies that exist solely to send junk mail would probably go bust, | but that's probably a blessing. :-) Ick. This is too strong. Direct mail helps subsidize everyone else's mail. I like that. I prefer that unrequested direct mail include a standard mark somewhere on the envelope that makes its origin obvious. "Unrequested mail" right next to the adressee would be a perfect location. :) Hopefully this would allow me to look at the mail and discard all those pesky junk letters that try to look important amongst the things that I care about. -- |_ /| | Robert Minich | |\'o.O' | Oklahoma State University| "I'm not discouraging others from using |=(___)= | minich@d.cs.okstate.edu | their power of the pen, but mine will | U | - "Ackphtth" | continue to do the crossword." M. Ho