I am against SPAM, and I report it to my ISP's complaint department as well as to the complaint department of the spammer's ISP. This, supposedly, gets them censured.

There are are areas already provided on the 'Net where people can advertise, and even AOL has areas to advertise. It's like picking up a newspaper -- do you WANT to read the Want Ads or not? If you do, then open 'em up! If not, throw that section into the recycling bin.

Advertisers and advertising permeates every newsgroup on the 'Net -- it's inappropriate to advertise: it's not the advertising newsgroup, it's off-topic, it requires bandwidth and disk space. It's aggravating AND it's out of control.

One solution would be to let those Usenet groups which are actually FOR advertising services and goods to advertise their newsgroup. Of course, this would necessitate having someone be responsible for this, which would imply Internet ortganization and authority, which will NEVER happen because the 'Net is free and is going to stay that way!

I hate receiving sex spam -- and they say ANYTHING: torture, rape, defecation . . . they don't care whom they offend. I don't like receiving mail from people like that. But the 'Net should NOT be censored. These people lurk electronically and glean names from people who open the newsgroup. THAT practice needs to stop.

Richard Coley
drakem@mindspring.com