On April 19, 2004 at 19:50 research(_at_)solidmatrix(_dot_)com (Yakov
Shafranovich) wrote:
As such, the only chance of beginning to tackle the spam problem
requires some sort of postage, simple charging, to simply make
resource usage reflect costs. For everyone. Analogous to paper postal
systems with, perhaps, some creative twists to reflect the low cost of
common usage, preferably thrown back to the ISPs et al.
People do not hack phones or fax machines in the real world - it is
simply not possible with the same ease as it is in the digital world.
Perhaps you are too young to remember blueboxing?
Small boxes built from a few parts available at any Radio Shack or
similar which could be used to completely by-pass long-distance tolls,
in their more sophisticated versions could even be used to put long
distance charges onto others, typically companies' 800 lines, if you
knew the right incantations.
These boxes went around college dorms, for starters, like wildfire,
and this was in a day when having a boyfriend or girlfriend back home
could easily cost you hundreds of dollars per month in toll charges,
it was much more expensive than today so the appeal was enormous.
They were a big disaster for the phone system, millions if not
billions of dollars were lost, people were arrested and the system
eventually redesigned and a much changed system deployed on a rather
rapid schedule.
But one difference was that there was real, measurable money involved.
Another is that the phone system is somewhat more mature than the
internet.
Another issue is convincing people to switch - the unlimited/free
pricing scheme has been embedded into the psyche of Internet users to
such extend, that it will very hard to convince people to switch. Even
if you float the "no spam" flag, the first few pieces of spam arriving
in their inbox, be it paid or hijacked, will break that idea very quickly.
What convinced people to pay for long-distance calling or for toll
booths on highways?
I think your sense of consent is touching but not acknowledging how
such resource charging comes into being.
Given the opportunity the public would probably "vote" for free
broadband cable etc. Why not?! And no doubt, as you imply, make the
big pouty face at any suggestion otherwise.
But that's the point, the reality of economics has to penetrate
somehow.
My suspicion is that the way things are going either something is
done, or the RBOCs (and equivalent, PTTs etc) will own e-mail,
everyone else having gone broke on spam etc, and we'll be paying
15c/message just like SMS.
I bet your phone co won't give a lot of creedance to the big pouty
face about being charged for email.
Maybe I'm the only one, but I just don't think people realize how
close we are to the whole thing collapsing like that. And the RBOCs
etc not only can taste that victory, they consider it their natural
destiny.
Anyhow, it's something to consider as one fritters away time because
every suggestion is just not quite perfect.
I think the expression is: Rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.
ISPs also have to be convinced to spend money on supporting and
participating in the e-postage infrastructure. Given the low profit
margins they are getting today and the uncertain benefit that will be
gained via e-postage, they will not run towards the idea so fast. This
is why people have suggested to add some benefit to the mix such as
"registered" mail, etc.
Well, as an ISP it's interesting to hear you speak on my behalf.
I think the possibility of conforming resource demands (and consequent
costs) to resource usage would have a certain appeal.
--
-Barry Shein
Software Tool & Die | bzs(_at_)TheWorld(_dot_)com |
http://www.TheWorld.com
Purveyors to the Trade | Voice: 617-739-0202 | Login: 617-739-WRLD
The World | Public Access Internet | Since 1989 *oo*
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