Federal regulators have only one ultimately effective tool – regulation (or the threat of regulation). Regulation through legislation is their hammer and when your only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail! Another way to say it is that when you are a regulator, many problems cry out for a regulatory solution. The regulators say the spam problem has gotten so bad that something must be done to protect the Internet. Senator Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., is proposing a national “do-not-spam” registry similar to a service soon to go live that will block unwanted telemarketing calls. A do not call registry could potentially work — in America. The Internet, on the other hand, is global and quite different in how it works technically and economically. I don’t see any possibility of a “do not email” registry working. Most companies struggle to manage their own email list. Do we really think the government can manage the complexities of a national email database — keep it up to date and keep it secure from hackers?
Another proposal, by Senators Conrad Burns, R-Mont., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., would require spam to have valid return addresses. Will spammers outside of America care about such a law? Representative. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., said she would seek federal legislation offering rewards for people who help track down spammers. The panel was unanimous that this would not work.
There have over fifty news stories (links below) that I know of which reported on the Spam Forum. The average story reported that most (7/8 to be exact) of the panelists said that a strong Federal anti-spam law is needed, but the chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project (yours truly) warned that any U.S. law would do little to stop spam from other countries, and that the only solution is blocking spam with new technology. He added (but no one wanted to hear or report) that legislation won’t work. It is almost as though the proponents are more concerned about getting legislation passed than they are about whether legislation could actually work. They all argued for “good” legislation but I have yet to hear of a proposal that technology experts say will work.
Technology experts meanwhile are in fact working on a redesign of how email works at its core. This is the long-term answer. In the short term I urge people to try some of the available technology, either at the corporate or personal level.
Here are links to 50+ media stories including name of the publication and an extract from it of what they said I said. I hesitated to paste all this into the story because it splatters my name all over the place and I don’t want to be egoistical. However, someone took the time to search, extract, and send the links to me I decided some readers may want to see what gets reported and where. Disclaimer: some of the links may be bad or some of the stories (likely) are redundant because they picked it up from a wire service such as the Associated Press. Here is a link to the other things I have written about the Forum and about Spam more generally.
Spam e-mail problem worse than imagined
The Globe and Mail, Canada
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
The Not-So-Peaceful Anti-Spam Crusade
Washington Post
… action against spammers,” the article said. “But. John Patrick. ,
chairman of the. Global Internet Project. , said a national no-spam …
Spam E-Mail Problem Worse Than Imagined
Baltimore Sun, MD
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Spam E-Mail Problem Worse Than Imagined
Hampton Roads Daily Press, VA
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Spam E-Mail Problem Worse Than Imagined
Newsday
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Spam E-Mail Problem Worse Than Imagined
Seattle Post Intelligencer, WA
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Spam E-Mail Problem Worse Than Imagined
Hampton Roads Daily Press, VA
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Spam E-Mail Problem Worse Than Imagined
Newsday
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Spam E-Mail Problem Worse Than Imagined
Seattle Post Intelligencer, WA
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
FTC Panelists: Federal Spam Law Needed
DM News, NY
… From the other side of the spectrum, John Patrick, chairman of the
Global Internet Project, said to “put your pens away. This is …
Antispam panel: Proposed laws aren’t enough
IDG.com, Singapore
… But John Patrick, chairman of the Global Internet Project, said a national no-spam
list would be difficult to maintain and wouldn’t address spam coming from …
Spam problem worse than imagined
News Interactive, Australia
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Spam E-Mail Problem Worse Than Imagined
WXIA-TV, GA
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Spam E-Mail Problem Worse Than Imagined
Newsday
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Like cockroaches, spam is here to stay
Capitol Hill Blue, VA
… If I am a spammer in Tajikistan, why do I care about a federal law?” said John Patrick,
former vice president for Internet technology at IBM and now chairman …
Spam e-mail worse than thought
Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel, FL
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Spam e-mail problem far worse than first believed, regulators say
Chicago Daily Herald, IL
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Spam ‘worse than we imagined,’ feds say
Tacoma News Tribune, WA
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries, and the only …
Spam worse than believed
Dayton Daily News, OH
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
E-mail at risk of being run into the ground by ‘spam’
Canton Repository, OH
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
You have spam, and regulators want it stopped
The Tallahassee Democrat
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said that
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and that the …
Spam problem far worse than first believed, regulators say
Detroit News, MI
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Spam e-mail problem far worse than first believed, regulators say
Orangeburg Times Democrat, SC
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Spam Overload Putting E-mail At Risk, FTC Regulator Warns
Tampa Tribune, FL
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
FTC says government must act on spam problem
Raleigh News, NC
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Spam problem worse than imagined
Salon
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
US wants to ban spam
News Interactive, Australia
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Spam: America’s Unwelcome Export
PC World
… However, since the Internet transcends national borders, national laws will barely
tackle the problem, said John Patrick, chairman of the Global Internet …
Spam E-Mail Problem Worse Than Imagined
Centre Daily Times, PA
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Spam E-Mail Problem Worse Than Imagined
Rapid City Journal, SD
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Spam E-Mail Problem Worse Than Imagined
ABC News
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Anti-spam panel: Proposed laws aren’t enough
InfoWorld, CA
… But John Patrick, chairman of the Global Internet Project, said a national no-spam
list would be difficult to maintain and wouldn’t address spam coming from …
FTC: Spam E-Mails More Prevalent Than Thought
FOX News
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Spam E-Mail Problem Worse Than Imagined
The Porterville Recorder, CA
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Regulators: Spam e-mail problem far worse than first believed
San Jose Mercury News, CA
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Regulators: Spam reaching a danger point
USA Today
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Spam Problem Worse Than Believed
KRON4.com, CA
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Spam E-Mail Problem Far Worse Than First Believed, Regulators Say
WAVY-TV, VA
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Spam E-Mail Problem Worse Than Imagined
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, IN
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Spam E-Mail Problem Worse Than Imagined
Belleville News-Democrat, IL
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Spam E-Mail Problem Worse Than Imagined
Aberdeen American News, SD
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Spam E-Mail Problem Worse Than Imagined
Akron Beacon Journal, OH
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Spam E-Mail Problem Worse Than Imagined
Macon Telegraph, GA
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Regulators Says Spam Issue at a Threshold
ABC News
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Spam E-Mail Problem Worse Than Imagined
Kansas City Star, MO
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Spam E-Mail Problem Worse Than Imagined
Grand Forks Herald, ND
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Spam E-Mail Problem Worse Than Imagined
Wichita Eagle, KS
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Spam E-Mail Problem Worse Than Imagined
Duluth News Tribune, MN
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Spam E-Mail Problem Worse Than Imagined
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, GA
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Spam E-Mail Problem Worse Than Imagined
Biloxi Sun Herald, MS
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Spam E-Mail Problem Worse Than Imagined
Wilkes Barre Weekender, PA
… John Patrick, chairman of the industry-supported Global Internet Project, said
any US law would do little to stop spam from other countries and the only …
Conference concludes spam is here to stay . . . for now
Minneapolis Star Tribune, MN
… `If I am a spammer in Tajikistan, why do I care about a federal law?” said
John Patrick, former vice president for Internet technology at IBM and now …
