Re: [cobalt-users] RE: OT ** ORBZ **

[Francisco Sánchez <lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeff Lasman" <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <cobalt-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, March 24, 2002 7:31 AM
Subject: Re: [cobalt-users] RE: OT ** ORBZ **


>
> Oh yes it is.  I don't pay a penny for the snailmail spam that comes
> into my mailbox, and I can even benefit, if I choose to sell it to a
> paper recycler.
>

Yes, and sometimes you even get discount coupons...

>
> No, it sounds more like not allowing anyone to fly in an airliner until
> we knew the system was secured to our liking.  Sure it inconvenienced a
> lot of people, but the cost was worth it.
>

That is one step closer to the wonderful Orwell's society.  Do you feel
safer now?  Good for you, but take a few minutes and thing of how many ways
terrorists can harm...  airplanes only?  Sure you now don't feel that much
safe...  What next? Increse security in buses, trains and boarts?

> Of course that's not a good analogy either.  The fact is I own my
> server, and like Charlie, I can block anyone I want to block.  It's my
> server.
>

Yes, as I said you can build a wonderful intranet and save lost of money
from your ISP or telecom carrier.

> Currently I don't block any email at all.  It doesn't mean I won't in
> the future.
>

Fortunately you have chosen to be opened to the world and I believe that is
the best of choices.

>
> Will you feel differently when you get millions of pieces of spam per
> day?  Will you feel differently when your servers stop working because
> somebody floods your domain with a dictionary email attack and none of
> your customers' sites can be seen, when they all start calling you
> because they can't get their email?
>
> Maybe.
>

No.  You are talking about very extreme situtations.  I do receive a lot of
spam.  But I do believe that there should be other ways to stop this, other
than a blocking war.  For example, I have heard a lot of people saying they
are blocking wanadoo.fr (not sure if it was because spam or hacking
attempts).   If I do that I will block a very important market for me and
many of my customers, as it happens that the French are one of our main
markets.

I believe that spam could simply be stopped by the power of law.  I do not
know what kind of law you have for this in the US, but I do know that 90% of
the spam we receive come from there and with a beautiful notice at the end
saying that it complies with the US Congress legislation.  Instead of
blocking and flaming, why don't people whe receive spam with these nice
notices write to their representative or senator and complain and ask for a
strict legislation?  We have enacted recently a law for this and commercial
mailings are only allowed to people who have voluntarily subscribed to a
list.  Nothing about "you may unsubscribe at http://...... " and the such.

Of course we would still face the 10% of spam that comes from Asia... but
solving a 90% of the proble would be a good start.

Regards,

Francisco Sánchez