Linked by Thom Holwerda on Sun 4th May 2008 11:36 UTC
There are many things concerning the internet that are decidedly not amusing. The internet can be a source of viruses and other forms of malware, which affect computers worldwide. It can provide refuge for the sick and perverted, who use the depths and anonymity of the internet to distribute material that goes beyond any imagination. It can also be a hotbed for other dangerous activities like crime and terrorism. However, I think I speak for many when I say that spam is the one thing that bothers us all on a continuous basis.
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Member since:2005-07-06
RE[2]: 30 years already?
by Alex Forster on Mon 5th May 2008 04:09
in reply to "RE: 30 years already?"
Member since:2005-08-12
No, I think paid e-mail could be a good thing. Definitely not an e-mail tax where every e-mail costs $0.01, but maybe one where people have to pay for e-mail addresses, or better yet, where hosts have to pay to run e-mail servers.
The spam problem isn't about the lack of a solution, it's about a lack of ability to move the entire world away from SMTP. SMTP is essentially anonymous; anyone can be anybody they want. The key is accountability. To fix spam, we need to be able to put an organization to an e-mail address without any question. However, that requires some sort of central registry, and part of the reason that SMTP is so popular in the first place is that it's open and decentralized.
Edited 2008-05-05 04:17 UTC
Member since:2005-07-06
Member since:2005-11-13
For example instant messaging is mostly spam free.
Really? I don't use IM that much, but when I do (Yahoo), I get a ton of offline spam messages every time I log on.
I'm curious about something.. how many of you would favor implementing the death penalty for spammers? Seriously.
Member since:2005-12-04
I guess, with our current level of tech, it impossible without resorting to serious censorship. I know I'd rather run anti spam software than encourage email censorship so i guess it's a necessary evil at the mo.
I don't know about other Gmail users, but I rarely get a spam in my inbox anymore. Virtually all of them end up in the spam folder and get deleted in 30 days. About the only "spam" that ends up in there is things I've signed up in the past for but have been too lazy to unsubscribe to.
Really their solution is impressive in the it works so great. When a user receives a spam, they can select it and click "Report Spam". It then adds information pertaining to that particular email to a database. Then if any further emails come in that are similar to the one recorded in the database, they are immediately moved to the spam folder.
Obviously it works or I would be getting slews of spam in my inbox. As it is I might get one per month. And its also very accurate - only rarely does a good email get into the spam folder. And usually thats when I'm signing up for an account with a new site. I promptly report it as valid and it never happens again.
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Member since:
2006-12-28
Man does time fly. you think that in thirty years we could have come up with a way of neutralizing it.
I guess, with our current level of tech, it impossible without resorting to serious censorship. I know I'd rather run anti spam software than encourage email censorship so i guess it's a necessary evil at the mo.