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TrustE Launches Trusted Spammer Program
Silverhammer writes: "InfoWorld is reporting that such luminaries as TRUSTe, ePrivacy Group, MSN, and DoubleClick are getting together to develop a "trusted senders" program to certify "commercial email" and "elevate" it above ISPs' and end users' spam filters. Why, you ask? Because they believe it's actually our fear of fraud that's hurting their response rates. Apparently all that stuff about invasion of privacy and theft of resources is just a big misunderstanding..." The Infoworld story linked above has the best information about this seal program, but CNet has another story including a quote forecasting 1400 pieces of spam per person per day in five years. Update: 01/31 17:02 GMT by M : The FTC is announcing a crackdown on spam.
Personally what I do is setup a seperate address for all my mailing list mail, and then dump everything with the word "remove" into the trash for my personal mail address. Of course i still glance at the trash, just to make sure.
http://slashdot.org/search.pl?query=truste &op=stories&sort=1
I ran the TrustE "vs." Real story here in 1999, and I spent a little while summing up their history-to-date.
Spam is theft. Deleting it takes up time that eventually accumulates...time that can't be billed out. It also eats up network resources in terms of bandwidth and storage space. So, unlike postal junk mail, where the sender pays for postage, *you* pay for spam. Spam is like a collect call that you're forced to accept.
Bill Clinton: Pimp we can believe in. - The Shirt!!!
Wrong, wrong, wrong. Assuming that you are refering to the US postal service you are 100% wrong.
The USPS receives no tax dollars to pay for operations. Not some, not a little, not a few, NONE! The USPS pays for itself. That's why they have to occaionally raise rates. They can't just go ask for more tax dollars. If you don't like the US Mail, don't use it and you won't be paying for it. Don't you wish all government programs were like that?
Bulk mail, presorted stuff, stuff mailed and labeled by machines is actually cheaper for the Post Office to deliver, but the PO doesn't pass ALL of this cost savings on to the Bulk Mailers. You see, those folks sending out junk mail are actually SUBSIDISING YOU! That Valentine's Day card you're about to send to your grandmother costs you less than it should because of all those coupons and solicitations you receive.
If you eliminated junk mail from the US Mail, the Postal Service would cost _more_ per piece to maintain, the price of stamps would go _up_ and it wouldn't save a dime from the Federal Budget.
Si vis pacem, para bellum
The only thing more annoying than a Libertarian is an (un|mis)informed Libertarian
Actually, "commercial" junkmail is where the P.O. makes most of its revenues. Presorted (as mass mailings are required to be) requires less handling and sorting by the P.O. itself, so costs less to process and deliver. That's why the P.O. can charge lower rates for it yet still make more money from it.
~REZ~ #43301. Who'd fake being me anyway?
This is completely correct. TrustE will certify that you have a privacy policy, that's about it. When RealNetworks spammed their users repeatedly, anti-spam groups reported to TrustE that Real was violating their own privacy policy. TrustE should have revoked Real's membership, but they did nothing.
Also, what does spam have to do with privacy? TrustE mostly concerns themselves with how companies use your information - but spammers don't have any information about you, only an e-mail address they harvested or bought!
Under capitalism man exploits man. Under communism it's the other way around.
You might look into an anti-telemarketer service. I have Qwest and they call it "Privacy Plus", it's a service bundled with caller ID for $9.95/month. If someone calls, and their caller ID info is unavailable, it prompts them to press a button and record their name. Then, the system will double-ring my phone, play their name, and ask me to press 1 to accept or 2 to decline the call.
:(
The beauty is, most telemarketers can't press the 1 button to speak their name, so your phone never rings. I've gotten two unwanted calls in all the time I've had it (2+ years), one was from the University I work for, asking me to donate money (they had legit caller ID info), and the other night I had someone from the Special Olympics get through, who apparently wasn't using an autodialer. I just pressed the 2 button, and the computer voice told him to shove off.
Yeah, it's a bit pricey, but I'd rather not spend my time running to the phone to deal with those people. I also don't own an answering machine or voice mail, I have a cell phone with those features, and if it's important, and you have to leave me a message, you'll know my cell phone number. Otherwise, you can e-mail me.
I'd ditch the landline completely, but I have two TiVos that depend on it.
When in danger or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout. --Robert A. Heinlein
It sounds drastic, but if you want to get rid of every telemarkter that will every try to reach you ... get a cell phone and cancel your primary line.
Sure you might still use the copper for dial-up or DSL ... in that case, unplug your phone and turn off your modem ringer.
I did this after purchasing my home and it was a welcome relief. I know the tricks with telemarketers, I know the magic words, "put me on your company's do not call list" but I was still getting the calls.
With the cell as my primary number it does not happen. Granted, this might depend on my carrier (EdgeWireless, basically a front for AT&T), however from what I understand most cell providers are very skeptical about selling their number list to telemarketers for fear of the enormous consumer backlash (interestingly enough, it would be for the same root reason we all get so pissed about spam: ergo, we pay to receive spam just like we'd pay, per minute, to receive telemarketing calls on a cell phone).
I hope this helps you out. Yes, I am well aware how annoying it is to change one's primary phone number.
Cheers,
-- RLJ
It is called TMDA and it is available at tmda.sourceforge.net