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Postage for the internet?

TheEXoneTheEXone Ranger
in Zocalo v2.0
Some think its a good way to fight spam, I see it as another way of paying for something that started out as free a growing trend on the internet.

[url]http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/internet/03/05/spam.charge.ap/index.html[/url]

Comments

  • the_exilethe_exile Kupo!
    Terrible idea. The math concept would be acceptable, but if I had to pay to email people... I wouldn't.
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    The whole reason email is so popular is because it is both free and nearly instantaneous. If it was no longer free, it wouldn't be as popular and would only get used for serious stuff. While some may see the sudden decline in random jokes arriving in their inbox from friends as a good thing, I think charging postage for email is a stupid, stupid idea.

    However, the idea of donating 10 seconds of computer time per email sent to something like seti@home or the cancer research one is something I could happily live with. I guess even 10 seconds of time spent solving some random puzzle purely as proof I'm not spamming is OK.
  • MartianDustMartianDust Elite Ranger
    I still think you'd get some spam emails.
  • PhiPhi <font color=#FF0000>C</font><font color=#FF9900>o</font><font color=#FFFF00>l</font><font color=#00F
    I'm agreed with Biggles on both points. Paying for email somewhat undermines what it's become in our society...Not to mention the logicstics of it would be staggaring, there's just too much email to moniter it all. Personally I don't mind putting up with a small amount of spam if it means a free email account. But the 10 second idea for very public email addresses sounds good. I'd donate wasted time for a legitimate email so they didn't have to waste theirs.

    -Φ
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    Another problem with the concept of paying is, who do you pay?
  • Random ChaosRandom Chaos Actually Carefully-selected Order in disguise
    Given that e-mail servers are available as open source...I fail to see how this would ever happen. All someone needs to do is run their own e-mail server and they can bypass it. If it is the destination that charges, then somehow they actually have to figure out who sent it. Isn't that what spammers do the best at? Spoofing IPs? Great way to charge people who don't spam for spammer's spam.

    Plus I would never pay to send e-mail :)

    What would work is if there was a 2ndary e-mail system set up internal to say the US Post Office where every address got an e-mail box (not every person). This would work just like normal mail. You could only send to that address from another address in the same system. And then they could charge. Those who don't want spam stay with the "Official" system that runs on a different protocal and those that dont' care stay with the existing. Of course, then everyone will have both...but it means that retailers could send you e-mail without knowing your e-mail addy becuase it would be based on address rather then who you are.
  • the_exilethe_exile Kupo!
    [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Biggles [/i]
    [B]Another problem with the concept of paying is, who do you pay? [/B][/QUOTE]

    Your ISP/email provider, I would assume.
  • Random ChaosRandom Chaos Actually Carefully-selected Order in disguise
    [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by the_exile [/i]
    [B]Your ISP/email provider, I would assume. [/B][/QUOTE]

    Who is the ISP/email provider of the spammers? Themselves! This is why it would never work!
  • E.TE.T Quote-o-matic
    Why doesn't it surprise that suggestion for paying e-mails comes from Micro$oft.:D
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