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Subject: Re: Definition of spam (was Topica)
From: Randy Cassingham <arcie @ thisistrue . com>
Date: Tue, 02 Mar 1999 21:30:22 -0700
To: list-managers @ GreatCircle . COM
Delivered-to: fixup-list-managers@GreatCircle.COM@fixme
In-reply-to: <19990302210915.A14664@gsp.org>
References: <4.1.19990302103132.009bca50@pop.dnvr.uswest.net><199903012213.AA18762@waltz.rahul.net><19990301085114.C24566@gsp.org><199903012213.AA18762@waltz.rahul.net><19990302050211.A6743@gsp.org><4.1.19990302103132.009bca50@pop.dnvr.uswest.net>

At 09:09 PM 3/2/99 -0500, Rich Kulawiec said:

>> Um... WHICH community?
>
>The anti-spam community.

Which is composed of large groups of unrelated people with differing
ideas.  So we're back to the original statement, I think by Michelle
Dick: "reasonable people disagree on the definition of spam".

>> I consider THE leader in anti-spam efforts to be CAUCE -- the Coalition
>> Against Unsolicited COMMERCIAL Email.
>
>CAUCE's acronym is flawed in the abstract sense

Perhaps, but it's not an UNREASONABLE definition.  They're making very
good headway in choking off spam.  You sound like a reasonable person
too; you and I and CAUSE all have reasonable positions.  Yet we still
disagree.  I'm NOT saying you're wrong; I'm saying that Michelle is
right: reasonable people DO disagree.  To argue against that point is
to lose sight of the goal: eradication of spam.

I *do* agree that "spamming" to send out a plea for people to look
for a missing little girl is not commercial, but it is still the
wrong thing to do.  Should it be *outlawed*?  I dunno.  Should ads
for "wet hot teens" be forced on me?  No; and THAT *should* be
outlawed, just as similar faxes are outlawed.  Focussing on the
commercial aspect makes it easier to pass legislation, which I
unfortunately think is necessary.  Anyway, it's not worth arguing
whether or not reasonable people disagree on the definition, but
that IS obviously the case here!

(BTW: your belief that individual postings to mailing lists are
copyrighted is correct; the Berne Convention makes the copyright
protections valid across many continents.  A specific copyright
NOTICE in the message(s) is NOT required.  It wasn't worth a
separate post to say that, but you are indeed right about it.)

 + Randy Cassingham, author of "This is True" * arcie@thisistrue.com +
 | http://www.thisistrue.com * autoresponder TrueInfo@thisistrue.com |
 + FIGHT SPAM!! Send blank e-mail to nospam@mailback.com for details +



Follow-Ups:
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Indexed By Date Previous: Re: Topica-Dot-Com Open For Business
From: murr rhame <murr@vnet.net>
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From: "Victor A. Wagner, Jr." <vawjr@rudbek.com>
Indexed By Thread Previous: Re: Definition of spam (was Topica)
From: Rich Kulawiec <rsk@gsp.org>
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From: Jon Parry-McCulloch <jm@antipope.org>

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