I believe that e-mail is like phone calls, and whereas from time to time I
must send e-mail on behalf of another (as their provider) this is generally in the form of
an auto-response and not unsolicited.
As a service provider it is critical that I be able to manage my e-mail
in-flow as well as provide my e-mail address in public sources. There are organizations
which utilize the public resources as if they were storehouses of telemarketing
information.
Many who use my e-mail address for unsolicited commercial e-mail (SPAM)
quite often use telecommunications technology to hide their identity and sometimes even
dupe Internet citizens into acting as their agents, hiding their identity behind
residential consumer protection.
This could be remedied by declaring that e-mail is similar to phone calls
and faxes. Such unsolicited behavior without properly identifying oneself and following
established protocol should be punishable by fine, jail term, or both.
My customers suffer because others are constructing their own forms of
pyramid schemes.
Thank you for your time.
-- Steve Harris
Programmer/Analyst
Hinman Associates
Nevada City, CA
http://www.hinman.com/