WANT TO HIT A SPAMCOP HARD?

Written by Bob McElwain


Inrepparttar film, "Cool Hand Luke,"repparttar 132810 vicious, sadistic prison warden was fond of saying, "What we have here is a failure to communicate." Inrepparttar 132811 end, prisoner Paul Newman came to "understand"repparttar 132812 true meaning of this comment.

A while back, a friend of mine copied a message to me that had been sent to a list of SpamCops and others. I wasrepparttar 132813 object ofrepparttar 132814 exercise to come. The subject line was, "We have another list owner here that [sic] needs to be educated."

Not much difference inrepparttar 132815 two statements, actually, for "educated" in this context means "business destroyed."

The Source Of This "Complaint"

I had distributed a brief article advising against requiring confirmation of subscription requests. In it, I describedrepparttar 132816 results of two attempts at using them. Inrepparttar 132817 first trial, 40% of new subscribers did not confirm. Inrepparttar 132818 second, a longer trial, 37% failed to confirm.

I can't be certain this article triggered action, for I was never informed. But it was appended torepparttar 132819 message received as mentioned above. It appears I was added torepparttar 132820 "get-him" list because I recommend against requesting confirmation.

Radicalism Is Rising In Popularity

Sure, we've had some bad times in this country. When Senator Joe McCarthy got you up torepparttar 132821 stand, you were guilty before you sat down. Sincerepparttar 132822 early 80s, there has been an awesome increase in small, organized, targeted extremist groups which cram their views right down your throat.

Never mind they ignore your rights in doing so. Never mind you may be seriously hurt, even destroyed, by their unilateral actions. Never mind they makerepparttar 132823 judgement of your guilt in a manner you can not contest. You are guilty. Period.

In "True Believer," Eric Hoffer years back clearly pointed outrepparttar 132824 dangers of such groups to democracy as we know it. His concerns have proved to be justified, as have his predictions about such groups significantly reducing individual freedom over time.

SpamCops In Perspective

To put SpamCops into this category is absurd. They are trivial. They hide behind false names, as others have done for centuries behind masks and robes. They violaterepparttar 132825 very rules they claim to espouse. Compared to other forces at work in this country, SpamCops and like minded people offer only a gnat sized threat in a hawk-filled sky.

With one real exception. On a single unjustified and unsupported claim, a webmaster can find his ISP and website shut down without prior notice. And without recourse. For a small business just making it, this can amount torepparttar 132826 "straw" that brings total collapse.

Small business people arerepparttar 132827 target. And SpamCops have been effective at doing vicious damage to many. The nature ofrepparttar 132828 vicarious thrill they get in doing so escapes me.

This is real power. And it appears to be used for its own sake. In all else, SpamCops are utter failures.

Impotent Phonies

They are powerless to prevent real spam. The junk overflows our mailboxes, and we stand helpless before it. So do SpamCops. They can't shut down an ISP or a host owned by spammers. Or those they sell their lists and services to.

So they've taken a giant step and essentially redefined spam as anything received you did not request. A target-rich environment. Requests made, then forgotten, bring messages called spam.

I was pounded by SpamCops regards an article sent with my name on it. I pointed outrepparttar 132829 only way to get that article was to send an email to an autoresponder address. I was ignored, of course. Their continuing innuendos and implied threats were disturbing.

SPAM Laws of 2001

Written by A.T.Rendon


For a law to take effect onrepparttar U.S. federal level, bothrepparttar 132807 House andrepparttar 132808 Senate must passrepparttar 132809 bill and thenrepparttar 132810 President ofrepparttar 132811 United States must signrepparttar 132812 bill into law.

Last year we almost got a SPAM law onrepparttar 132813 books when House legislators approved their version ofrepparttar 132814 SPAM bill, H. R. 3113,repparttar 132815 "The Unsolicited Commercial Electronic Mail Act of 2000", with a vote of 427-1.

However, it never came close to becoming law becauserepparttar 132816 Senate never even voted on it.

This year, there are already several attempts being made to place SPAM underrepparttar 132817 law.

The most recognized is known as bill HR 95, which is a re-introduction of H. R. 3113 from last year and is named: "To protect individuals, families, and Internet service providers from unsolicited and unwanted electronic mail." http:/ homas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d107:h.r.00095:

A SUMMARY AS OF: 1/3/2001--Introduced.

"Unsolicited Commercial Electronic Mail Act of 2001 - Amendsrepparttar 132818 Federal criminal code to provide criminal penalties for intentionally initiatingrepparttar 132819 transmission of any unsolicited commercial electronic mail message (message) to a protected computer inrepparttar 132820 United States withrepparttar 132821 knowledge that any domain name or other initiator identifying information contained in or accompanying such message is false or inaccurate.

Prohibits any person from sending such a message unlessrepparttar 132822 message contains a valid e-mail address, conspicuously displayed, to which a recipient may send notice of a desire not to receive further messages.

Makes it unlawful for a person to initiaterepparttar 132823 transmission of such a message in violation of a policy regarding unsolicited commercial e-mail messages that complies with specified requirements, including requirements for notice and public availability of such policy and for an opportunity for subscribers to opt not receive such messages.

Directsrepparttar 132824 Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to notify violators under this Act, to prohibit further initiation of such messages, and to requirerepparttar 132825 initiator to deleterepparttar 132826 names and e-mail addresses ofrepparttar 132827 recipients and providers from all mailing lists.

Provides a right of action by a recipient or provider against e-mail initiators who violaterepparttar 132828 above requirements. "

As bill HR 95 stands right now, it is not expected to pass vote inrepparttar 132829 House for two reasons, even thoughrepparttar 132830 language ofrepparttar 132831 bill is exactlyrepparttar 132832 same as that passed last year in a vote of 427-1:

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