Comments:

"Re: CAN-SPAM Act Rulemaking, Project No. R411008." I don't (at present) send out any bulk or commercial emails, but I do choose to receive many different ones from people I have specifically requested that they can contact me. These are the "ezine" type email that will contain useful information as well as recommendations or endorsements about different products, or straightforward commercial emails from companies advertising their own products. I appreciate the problems with SPAM that many internet users face and obviously support any reasonable attempts to curb this unsociable activity. But what annoys me and seriously worries me are many of the proposals being discussed which are going to have a detrimental effect on my relationship with people that I have requested to be able to email me. I believe the proposal about suppression lists is particularly concerning. When I subscribe to a publication I am requesting an ongoing relationship with the publisher of that specific ezine. I accept that any products described or advertised are placed there by the author and if I am not happy with either the content or types of products being promoted then I will unsubscribe. There may be various reasons for me to unsubscribe from a particular publication, but it would very seldom be that I never wanted any information on ANY of the products mentioned in that publication ever again. I therefore see the introduction of suppression lists as an infringement of my right to choose what information I receive. I also believe that such a system is realistically unworkable. I am getting very frustrated by my ISPs and email account providers already who are deciding on my behalf what emails I can and can't receive with their inept "spam filters". The technology that they employ to perform this is not capable of being remotely fool proof and I already find that many emails that I have requested (as well as several "personal" ones that I have sent) are being filtered out without my consent. I would therefore urge you reconsider the use of such measures very carefully. The internet has provided a great resource of information exchange as well as unprecedented legitimate commercial opportunities and I as a consumer would hate to see this jeopardised by overzealous and rash panic responses to the problem of unsolicited emails. I feel that anyone who has a genuine opt in list that complies to reasonable legislation should be free to carry on their business without all this extra burdensome interference. Yours sincerely Neil Stevens