[thelist] The Spam Argument [long] (was: Hiveware email address encoder)

[the head lemur]

The whole discussion of hacks, encoders, and workarounds is disingenuous,
and takes up far too much time aiming at the wrong target.

The web is not print, the web is not Radio, the web is not television, nor
is it your local Postal System. There is a lot of confusion here.

Unsolicited. Commercial. Email.

Unsolicited Commercial Electronic Mail.
Exactly what part of Unsolicited are you having a problem with?

Using the fine folks at Merriam Webster Online, we find the following entry
for solicit

1 a : to make petition to :
ENTREAT b : to approach with a request or plea
2 : to urge (as one's cause) strongly
3   a : to entice or lure especially into evil
     b : to proposition (someone) especially as or in the character of a
prostitute
4 : to try to obtain by usually urgent requests or pleas

 1 : to make solicitation : IMPORTUNE
 2 of a prostitute : to offer to have sexual relations with someone for
money

For un- we find

1 : do the opposite of : reverse (a specified action)
2 a : deprive of : remove (a specified thing) from : remove
b : release from
c : remove from : extract from : bring out of
d : cause to cease to be

Now that you have a grasp of the word U n s o l i c i t e d,
Let's cut to the chase.

If there is any group of folks connected who should be taking a stand
against spam it should be pixel mechanics.

It is a bottom line issue. Money out of your pocket, not having to leave the
web biz to pursue other opportunities, such as 'would you like fries with
that'?

Let's look at website basics 101.

You build business websites to make money or save money. Those are your two
choices. In the case of making money, you provide information germane to
your products or services. If you were just providing name address and phone
numbers, spending your money with the phone company is less hassle.

But then you wouldn't have a job or career, would you?

Dollar for dollar, a website can be a clients most effective marketing
venue.

The web allows you the ability to include email addresses, request forms,
shopping carts, and more personal methods of direct contact. To facilitate
your client making money, it is important that email and request forms are
what show up in their mailboxes, and not unsolicited email for various
products to enhance you in areas that for the most part are not public.

The point is to give your clients more exposure to a larger pool of
potential customers than just the folks in the neighborhood, or in their
town. What should show up in their email boxes are pre-qualified sales
leads.

If your clients are sifting through the same deluge of crap that you are,
how are they going to justify the cost of your services, when on a return on
investment basis, they spend more time deleting crap to get to the email
that you provided them to increase their business?

Oh I'll just tell them about spam filters!

Wrong f*cking answer!

Oh I'll hide the email address using technology that some folks do not use!

Wrong f*cking answer!

You are just working around the problem and not getting involved in what the
anti-pollution folks call 'source reduction'. The same applies to Standards
and Accessibility, but that is another argument.

Because it is not explicitly prohibited, nor is the cost visible, spam
continues.

Because so little is spent on email education in the web community,
political engagement on any level is virtually nil, and folks who promote,
engage and actively participate in spam knowing full well that it is pissing
folks off and don't care, are these really the folks you want slamming the
door on your ability to make a living? Because that is exactly what they are
doing.

The only methodology that will work is source reduction. Block the IP
addresses where this stuff is coming from. With IP masking, forged headers,
and open relays the short term prognosis is dim, but over the long haul, it
can be eliminated. Your ISP can be brought into the equation by voting with
your pocketbook.

If you think that UCE is such a great idea and folks can't wait, why do most
major postal systems have a unsolicited commercial maillist that reduces the
crap in your mail box, the US FTC's servers and phones have been swamped
with folks signing up for the Do Not Call list, and why is is illegal to
send unsoliceted faxes in the US?

One we raise the cost of spam to the point that there is no profit to be
had, we can get back to the business of webdesign.

the head lemur
News: http://www.lemurzone.com/news/
Interviews: http://www.lemurzone.com/pixelview/
Standards: http://webstandards.org
Community: http://www.evolt.org