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From: barmar@mit-eddie.MIT.EDU (Barry Margolin)
Newsgroups: net.rumor,net.news.adm,net.followup
Subject: Re: ading other peoples' mail
Message-ID: <1722@mit-eddie.MIT.EDU>
Date: Fri, 25-Apr-86 03:41:27 EST
Article-I.D.: mit-eddi.1722
Posted: Fri Apr 25 03:41:27 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 26-Apr-86 04:49:50 EST
References: <703@frog.UUCP> <12400018@uiucdcs> <2410@jhunix.UUCP>
Reply-To: barmar@mit-eddie.UUCP (Barry Margolin)
Organization: MIT, EE/CS Computer Facilities, Cambridge, MA
Lines: 22
Xref: watmath net.rumor:2045 net.news.adm:643 net.followup:5973

In article <1974@ism780c.UUCP> tim@ism780c.UUCP (Tim Smith) writes:
>But the E-mail case is different.  They are the ones putting their
>stuff on my machine.  It seems to me that they are the ones taking
>advantage of me!  They are using my machine to compete with me.  If
>they are dumb enough not to encrypt their data, then I see nothing
>wrong with reading it.

By that reasoning, it would be OK for a mail order company to use the
credit card number I conveniently provided them in order to make
purchases from my account.  Whether or not it is wise of me to make such
purchases using a credit card rather than a check, the fact remains that
it is wrong of them to take advantage of it.

If you advertise your willingness to pass on mail, I think it would not
be unreasonable of me to expect you to act in good faith.  However, I
agree with the opinion that it would be stupid to make such an
assumption if you were a competitor of mine.  Corporate spying may
sometimes be unethical, but it takes place nonetheless.
-- 
    Barry Margolin
    ARPA: barmar@MIT-Multics
    UUCP: ..!genrad!mit-eddie!barmar