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Re: [Asrg] Stamps

2003-03-07 14:01:34
From: Keith Moore <moore(_at_)cs(_dot_)utk(_dot_)edu>

I believe that eventually bulk mail will be
taxed like alcohol and tobacco, at a rate of $0.01 to $0.10 per
addressee.  
...

If I'm right about that, then political implications suggest that
body filtering will remain effective.  They also suggest that real
opt-out/do-not-mail lists will appear.

my conclusions are similar.  note that the real purpose of such a tax would be
to make spam legally legitimate, while raising the bar just enough to make it
inaccessible by small companies.   but it wouldn't do anything to improve
the signal-to-noise ratio of email.

Spam is already generally "legally legitimate," albeit becoming a
little less so.  The taxes will not raise the bar above the reach of
what are often called "small companies" (e.g. $1M/year revenue) but
above the reach of those who pay $300 for books, tapes and seminars
on how to get rich quick.

The tax will not directly improve the signat/noise ratio of mail in your
mailbox if your spam load is like that of the typical U.S.Postal Service
patron.  However, if you spam load is like that of many U.S. retail ISP
customers, it will be a noticable improvement.  The s/n ratio in your
mailbox will probably be significantly improved indirectly, or you will
spend less effort on filters.  The Dell Computers and RealNetworks of
the world do and will not deign to try to work around filters as the
get rich quick spammers do.  The DMA will teach its members that overtly
trying to break filters is bad for a business that depends on
Congresssional sufferance and that it's dumb to force advertising on
people who are willing to spend the effort to filter it.  It's better
to leave anti-advertising zealots alone than to poke us with sticks.


Vernon Schryver    vjs(_at_)rhyolite(_dot_)com
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