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One Answer To Spam: Sell Your Interruption Time

Posted by timothy on from the here-are-my-rates dept.

An anonymous reader writes "A recent article in the IBM Systems Journal describes an innovative solution to curb both spam email and telemarketing. In short, the potential recipient of a message/call advertises the potential cost of contacting him uninvited. If the sender agrees to pay that cost, it acquires a token that it includes in the message/call and the message/call is accepted. The recipient decides to collect the fee or not, while recipients in a white list are not required to carry a token. The author also provides for a more detailed description."

13 of 322 comments (clear)

  1. not a half bad idea... by bje2 · · Score: 4, Funny

    actually, not a half bad idea...i figure if i accepted 5,000 spams/calls a day, at 5 cents a call, i could make it my full-time job...what the heck would i list as occupation on my income taxes though...

    --

    "Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true." - Homer Simpson
    1. Re:not a half bad idea... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      "what the heck would i list as occupation on my income taxes though..."

      Spam Whore?

    2. Re:not a half bad idea... by Marty200 · · Score: 1, Funny

      what the heck would i list as occupation on my income taxes though...
      Spamee?

      --

      Randomly distributing Karma whenever possible.

    3. Re:not a half bad idea... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      >>what the heck would i list as occupation on my income taxes though...

      Doormat.

    4. Re:not a half bad idea... by Kazimira · · Score: 4, Funny

      i could make it my full-time job...what the heck would i list as occupation on my income taxes though...

      Trash collector?

  2. Mr. Spammer, I am publishing my price: by Thud457 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Your head. On a plate.

    --

    the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

    1. Re:Mr. Spammer, I am publishing my price: by Tackhead · · Score: 2, Funny
      >Mr. Spammer, I am publishing my price:
      >Your head. On a plate.

      Morden: "What do YOU want?"

      Vir: "I'd like to live JUST long enough to be there when they cut your head off and stick it on a pike in front of Verio headquarters, as a reminder to the next ten generations that some things come with TOO high a price. I'd look up into your lifeless eyes, and I'd wave - just like this. (gives happy little wave). Can you and your associates arrange that for me?"

      - Spamylon 5: "Over the Coals"

  3. Not a good idea... by Azzaron · · Score: 5, Funny

    You FINALLY found a girl who think enough of you to use the phone number you gave her. She's hot, sweet and intelligent with a great sense of humour.

    "You must agree to pay this geek 5 cents a minute while talking to him," a nasally voice greets her after she dials your number.

    "FUCK THAT!"

    There goes the love of your life...

  4. On call by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Hey, this is a great idea for people on-call too! You get a business call at 3:27 AM (why is it always 3:27 AM??) to reset someone's password, and you get to pocket a cool $20.

  5. Re:Been there, done that by Oliver+Wendell+Jones · · Score: 5, Funny

    I signed up for my state's (Indiana) no-call list. I have since then received 3 e-mails from the state's Attorney General office letting me know about potential federal legislation that could restrict my no-call list rights.

    Not 3 different e-mail, the same e-mail sent three times... I got rid of telemarketers just to get more spam...

    --
    A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing -- Emo Phillips
  6. A much better solution, as given by... by chuckfirment · · Score: 2, Funny

    A better solution to spammers has recently been dealt with on the online comic, Userfriendly.Org

    http://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/?id=2002120 7

    followed by

    http://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/?id=2002120 9

    Cthulhu knows how to deal with spammers.

    Chuck Firment

  7. Re:But actually, by apt142 · · Score: 3, Funny

    I think Lawyers already practice this technique.

    A friend of mine went to a lawyer to discuss her divorce case. After hearing her out, he simply said, "Sounds Complicated." And declined her case.

    A little while later, she got a bill for $300

    --
    Star Pirates
  8. I like the current method by WebMasterJoe · · Score: 3, Funny

    I like the current method to cut down spam:

    1. Get an online publication to write an article in which a spammer brags about his expensive home
    2. Tell thousands of geeksabout it and present a thinly veiled challenge to find the guy's address
    3. ?????
    4.Profit!!!!


    Sorry, once I got to number three I couldn't resist :)

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    I really hate signatures, but go to my website.