I am dismayed at the report that the IETF session was not productive.
You should consider the following:
1. The Internet has become an important part of the Civilized World's
infrastructure.
2. The Internet is threatened by the increasing volume of spam.
3. If the world's Internet Experts (that's you) cannot figure out how to fix
it, the Politicians *will*.
And how do you think they will do that, considering that politicians hardly
ever pass up an opportunity to control things and bring in more revenue?
I expect they will use the Postal Service as a model.
Yes, the Sender will pay.
While you might be thinking, "OK, I'm willing to pay $0.0001 per email if it
will eliminate spam," consider that:
1. The higher cost of snailmail has not stopped snailmail spam (junk mail).
[The Post Office makes money from junk mail.]
2. The higher cost of phone service has not stopped phone spammers
(Telemarketers). [The phone companies make money from selling telcom
services to Telemarketers.]
3. The rates for email will eventually be raised to the levels of snailmail
and telephone calls, perhaps higher, because of the value of almost instant
delivery.
They will justify it by offering premium services (just like the U.S. Postal
Service) of secure encryption (except for the backdoor for the 3-letter
agencies), certified delivery, delivery confirmation, etc.
They could conceivably require that *all* email be routed through their
servers in order to maintain proper control. (They'll call it the Electronic
Post Office.).
In any event, it will require new protocols and new software for everyone
wanting to use email.
So, if you don't fix the problem, the politicians will.
Their solution will cost everyone money, the democratic nature of the
Internet will be lost, everyone will have to get new software anyway, and it
won't even stop spam.
Jed Margolin
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