I first discovered computer networking in high school when a
friend introduced me to the bulletin board system (BBS) community.
I spent many hours online using my Commodore 64 and its 300 baud
modem, sending messages and eagerly awaiting responses.
When I started college, I discovered the Internet. Because the
internet was created and operated by the Defense Department, it was
only accessible to schools, technology companies, government, and
the military. But the foundations of communication were already
heavily in use – email, newsgroups, file servers, and more.
Having an email address was something of a novelty then. It
meant that you were part of a limited (read: “nerdy”) group of
folks that had the access and were willing to tolerate the horribly
slow connections and frustrating text-based user interfaces in
order to get connected. There was no harm in sharing your email
address with everyone – having one was a matter of public
pride.
In 1992, the Information Infrastructure and Technology Act
opened the internet to commercial traffic at the same time as web
servers and web browsers were invented. This shift from education
and scientific research to commercial and consumer use allowed for
the massive explosion of growth of content and services that we now
call the World Wide Web. The internet changed our expectations of
service from “good, fast, and cheap” to “perfect, now, and
free”.
Unfortunately, as we all know, there ain’t no such thing as a
free lunch. The growth and availability of those services comes
with a price – typically in the form of advertising. The same
legislation that opened the world of services to consumers also
opened the world of consumers to advertisers. And one of the major
pieces of information that marketing agencies want from each web
user is a valid email address to which they can send unsolicited
advertisements. Here’s an example of what showed up in my inbox the
other day:
| Dear E-Commerce professional ;
This letter was specially selected to be sent to you . This is a
one time mailing there is no need to request removal if you won't
want any more . This mail is being sent in compliance with Senate
bill 1622 , Title 7 ; Section 308 . Do NOT confuse us with Internet
scam artists ! Why work for somebody else when you can become rich
as few as 55 WEEKS ! Have you ever noticed the baby boomers are
more demanding than their parents plus people love convenience !
Well, now is your chance to capitalize on this !
WE will help YOU deliver goods right to the customer's doorstep
plus sell more . You can begin at absolutely no cost to you . But
don't believe us . Prof Jones who resides in Montana tried us and
says "Now I'm rich, Rich, RICH" . We assure you that we operate
within all applicable laws . Do not go to sleep without ordering .
Sign up a friend and your friend will be rich too . Thanks !
Dear Web surfer ; You made the right decision when you signed up
for our club . If you are not interested in our publications and
wish to be removed from our lists, simply do NOT respond and ignore
this mail ! This mail is being sent in compliance with Senate bill
1622 ; Title 9 , Section 302 ! THIS IS NOT A GET RICH SCHEME ! Why
work for somebody else when you can become rich inside 45 MONTHS .
Have you ever noticed people are much more likely to BUY with a
credit card than cash & how long the line-ups are at bank
machines .
Well, now is your chance to capitalize on this . We will help
you decrease perceived waiting time by 120% and use credit cards on
your website ! You can begin at absolutely no cost to you ! But
don't believe us . Mr Simpson of Massachusetts tried us and says
"Now I'm rich, Rich, RICH" . We are a BBB member in good standing .
Do not delay - order today ! Sign up a friend and you'll get a
discount of 60% ! Thank-you for your serious consideration of our
offer .
Dear Friend ; You made the right decision when you signed up for
our database . If you are not interested in our publications and
wish to be removed from our lists, simply do NOT respond and ignore
this mail ! This mail is being sent in compliance with Senate bill
2716 , Title 7 , Section 304 . THIS IS NOT MULTI-LEVEL MARKETING .
Why work for somebody else when you can become rich inside 21 DAYS
!
Have you ever noticed people love convenience and more people
than ever are surfing the web . Well, now is your chance to
capitalize on this ! WE will help YOU use credit cards on your
website plus turn your business into an E-BUSINESS .
You can begin at absolutely no cost to you ! But don't believe
us ! Mr Simpson who resides in North Dakota tried us and says "I've
been poor and I've been rich - rich is better" ! We are a BBB
member in good standing ! Do not go to sleep without ordering .
Sign up a friend and you'll get a discount of 10% ! Thanks
. |
Now I’m paying the price for my public pride of years ago. When
I posted my email address on newsgroups back then, I had no clue
how much trash I would receive as a result. Today, for every good
email I receive, I also get 100 pieces of junk. Although there are
tools that help me sort through this stuff, I still have to sort
through it to make sure good mail isn’t accidentally marked as bad.
And although I’d love to change email accounts, I’ve already
registered that address in too many places – it would take me a lot
more effort to change than it takes to just manage the mess.
You may be in a similar situation yourself. But if you’re not,
here’s a piece of advice – have at least three different email
accounts: one to use to communicate with your trusted friends and
family, one you use for managing your finances online, and one you
use for everything else (like shopping, forums, … even Geocaching).
You’ll be glad you did.