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From: b645zaw@utarlg.uta.edu (Stephen Tice)
Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk
Subject: Re: Idea to help curb unwanted junk mail
Message-ID: <1991Jun13.223616.27679@cse.uta.edu>
Date: 13 Jun 91 21:30:19 GMT
References: <14713.28453476@fidogate.FIDONET.ORG> <1991Jun12.224050.9098@midway.uchicago.edu> <1991Jun13.042624.17037@athena.cs.uga.edu>
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In article <1991Jun13.042624.17037@athena.cs.uga.edu>,
 mcovingt@athena.cs.uga.edu (Michael A. Covington) writes...
> 
>Before that requirement was imposed by Congress, first class mail
>was actually subsidizing junk mail!  Or so I'm told.

Whether It pays for itself (outright) or not, it's still our tax
dollars that enable the situation to exist. A much larger postal
bureaucracy is the result. Besides the impact that all this paper has
directly on the environment (tree cutting, toxic inks, waste bulk,
energy cost <to make and transport>, and litter) it takes advertising
dollars away from electronic media .

I strongly support telecommunications and computing as cheaper,
cleaner, and better than information delivered by physical transport
methods. Especially, if it gives me "search" and "kill" capability.
{not "search and kill", I haven't gotten that frustrated yet 8-}
The net culture is the new power group. Real-time, constant access
shared mind is a phenomena that demands courtesy. The ability to
turn off people, to filter out distractions, and then later to open
up and wallow in the info-flow is crucial. Any system which seeks
to interject into our thoughts, pass the filters we set up, subverts
this, be it propaganda, advertisement, or well intentioned social
sharing. Junk mail / telemarketing and other unsolicted forms of
subtle coercion most importantly waste time which can't be replaced.

I wrote to the 3 "flyer" companies that send newspaper insert bundles
to me by mail. The first time I asked them to stop. The second time
I asked, I told them it was against my religious beliefs. The stuff
is still coming, almost everyday, bundles of newspaper advertisements
that go straight from my mailbox to the the trash. I asked the post office
if they would stop the "to resident" stuff, also no luck. I've sent
a letter of complaint to President Bush. Congress would be useless
since they have a vested interest in keeping this going, as a method of
supporting small business. Of course, I'm already boycotting the
businesses who resort to this. 

Junkmail is harassment! I'm wondering if legal injunction can be used to
make them quit? Does anyone know of a precedent?

         _ Stephen Tice _       (b645zaw@utarlgt.uta.edu)  

    /   don't own a TV anymore --> because of commercials    \
    \  sure miss Star Trek NG  <-- NetNews is my substitute  /