Here are a few arguments for and against spam.
Some Pros:
- Bulk e-mailers believe they provide a service by distributing information that helps recipients make informed choices.
- Bulk e-mail is seen by spammers as free enterprise protected by free speech.
- Bulk e-mailers view addresses as public information — part of a public resource, the Internet — just like home addresses listed in a phone book.
- Bulk e-mailers argue their activities should be encouraged because they offer an improved form of junk mail.
Some Cons:
- Unlike postal mail, most recipients pay to receive unwanted e-mail.
- Being much less expensive to create and send than postal ads, spam often sends multiples to a single address, overwhelming that address’s capacity, and keeping valuable mail out.
- E-mail ads are more likely to be offensive, inappropriate, or in violation of state or local standards than postal mail ads.
- Unwanted spam is annoying and can enrage recipients, especially when clicking on the “remove” link doesn’t work.
Source: Internet Mail Consortium, June 2003.
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