This has been proposed previously on the list:
https://www1.ietf.org/mail-archive/working-groups/asrg/current/msg02280.html
There have also been some legislation proposed around this.
-----Original Message-----
From: John Kurrle [mailto:John(_dot_)Kurrle(_at_)mci(_dot_)com]
Sent: Tuesday, July 01, 2003 7:06 PM
To: asrg(_at_)ietf(_dot_)org
Subject: [Asrg] A slightly unusual idea
I realize this is a rather unusual and perhaps impractical
idea, but I would like to suggest something. While the FTC
has a new "do not call" list set up at
http://www.donotcall.gov/ , why can't we set up something
similar? Set up a "don't spam me" web site. The person puts
in their email address, and the site uses some sort of
scripting (PHP, java, CGI, etc.) to then hit all the major
spammers' OptOut mechanisms.
Most of the spam I get has some sort of "Opt Out" link or
instructions on it somewhere. They do seem to honor it, for
the most part. Case in point, I was getting in excess of 60
spam emails a day last week on my yahoo account. I started
clicking on all the opt-out links and sending
remove/unsubscribe emails, according to their instructions.
Now, almost a week later, I've gotten less than 10 a day, and
that number keeps shrinking.
By setting up a super "opt-out" site, you could possibly
reduce the transmissions of spam, simply by having your users
opt out at one site. Alternately, a network admin could opt
their user out as they set up the user's email account.
Is it a "magic bullet"? Obviously not. The site would have
to be constantly maintained to keep opt-outs updated. Users
would likely have to visit the site periodically to opt out
on spam, once their inbox started filling up again.
Distinctions would have to be made between spam and
newsletters. Perhaps spam would need to be seperated into
categories (pornographic, get rich quick, mortgage/credit,
medical, etc.) with an option to opt out only from certain
categories. There are certainly other aspects to consider as well.
I guess what I'm looking at is that users can filter spam,
but it doesn't stop the spam from coming in the first place.
Using a super opt-out site would allow the users to not have
the mail sent to them in the first place. Granted, there will
always be spammers that won't play well with this, but the
bulk of spammers do seem to provide and abide by their
opt-out procedures. A super opt-out web site might provide
temporary relief, until something better can be implemented.
Again, perhaps it is impractical, but it still might be worth
considering...
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