Comments:

Federal Trade Commission, Even though I am a small fish in the sea of internet users, I would like to comment on at least two of the items listed in the questions as well as the do not spam registry. Back in the late 60's early 70's I was a curious young man interrested in many things. In finding those little adds in the back of some of my favorite magazines, I would snip them out and mail away for all the free stuff I could want. Catalogs were so cool and supplied the need to "know stuff". How things have changed now. I have had unwanted email to the point that I had one or two "messages from a 'friend' to try something for my erection broblems". This to me is like sitting at a ball game and having an anoying hawker selling me peanuts I do not want and standing in my way during much of the game to try to get me to buy them! I like the choice of weather I want to check into something for myself. I have no erectile problems but even if I did I would go to a doctor for help. I even had one pornogrophy "site" get into my favorites folder and EVERYDAY add its porno sites to my list. I finally found out about Ad-Aware free software that has stopped that one. But I still get spam every other day or so now from a unknown "friend". My server has a report as spam button but it fails to stop them. I could open them if I had the free time and see if they have an unsubscription link, often they do not. If a friend had an advertisement at the bottom of their emails I would not feel offended, just like avon or tupperware, if I want it I would seek them out. A scheme to get friends to email for a business really is no business I want to go to for their products or services. If they said "call me and ask about it", I may if I am truly interested in it. The whole ideal that businesses can abuse the internet to make a profit has me puzzled. Why hasn't anyone said anything until it gets way out of hand? We need a do not spam registry. I now enjoy my evenings at home and when the phone rings I do not cringe at who it might be, but wonder, "what friend is calling me and can I help them?". This is the same thing that needs to be established in the "internet world". I don't want to be supprised by a virus or an ad for something that should remain in the back of the porno magazines. I want to look at my email and say again, " oh look who sent me a letter". I want to be pleasantly suprised again. Do the right thing. Keep the world of business to their world and my private social world in its place. I value my friends, do you?