Xref: utzoo news.sysadmin:889 misc.legal:5455
Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!cs.utexas.edu!utastro!werner
From: werner@utastro.UUCP (Werner Uhrig)
Newsgroups: news.sysadmin,misc.legal
Subject: what can we do about electronic "junkmail" (was Re: Portal...)
Summary: Electronic junkmail is on the rise ...
Message-ID: <2943@utastro.UUCP>
Date: 25 Jul 88 20:35:20 GMT
References: <7475@cup.portal.com> <2618@kitty.UUCP> <860@hodge.UUCP> <609@ontenv.UUCP>
Organization: U. Texas, Astronomy, Austin, TX
Lines: 25

within the last 3 days I received 2 messages by personal e-mail,
which are clearly of the "junkmail" variety:  one from Portal and one
from the "newly founded" Unix Today editor (who had the guts to ask me,
in good old junkmail fashion, for my life-story, including current
salary, for a "planned survey article on industry salaries" - he even
offered to keep the information confidential - HA!!)

I sent back a CLEARLY worded reply, explaining my displeasure, but
knowing how ineffective I have been discouraging telephone solicita-
tion calls, I believe that there is a need to find a way to discourage
"future" reoccurences ...not from the same people, who I trust will
respect my wishes never to hear from them again (though they may well
write to *YOU* next week..), but from the next "smart cookie"
who discovers that this is a cheap way of doing advertising
"on someone else's dime"  ... or go prowl the nets for a "sucker"


...after all, some of my best friends are "suckers" ...(-:

"...just another reduction of quality of life on this net ..."
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