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From: tannerr@prism.cs.orst.edu (Ryan Tanner)
Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk
Subject: Re: Idea to help curb unwanted junk mail
Message-ID: <1991Jun23.124039.25223@lynx.CS.ORST.EDU>
Date: 23 Jun 91 12:40:39 GMT
References: <14713.28453476@fidogate.FIDONET.ORG> <1991Jun12.224050.9098@midway.uchicago.edu> <1991Jun13.042624.17037@athena.cs.uga.edu> <1991Jun13.223616.27679@cse.uta.edu>
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In <1991Jun13.223616.27679@cse.uta.edu> b645zaw@utarlg.uta.edu (Stephen Tice) writes:

>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  /

I had a friend write to some bulk mailers that she was indeed dead, and
therefore would not need their mail any longer.  They desisted.  Of course,
she pretended to be one of her own family members.  There is a book
out (alas, I do not know the title) with tips to living with less of an
impact on your environment.  It has an address that you can write to and
get some companies to stop mailing to you.  A friend of mine has the
book, and I can post the article if I get enough response.  One thing
about electronic advertising, won't that use up bandwidth?  I am assuming
that the advertisers would then begin paying to support the Net, much
like TV.  I would guess that these companies wouldn't like users
weeding out their advertisements with their news programs.

Ryan (tannerr@prism.cs.orst.edu)