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Re-inventing the postage stamp 3

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GwydionM

GwydionM

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Oct 4, 2002
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What do people think of the latest proposal for charging for e-mails, important mostly because it is Bill Gates who is now saying it.

I have looked at the arguments against. My view is that almost anything would be better than a mail-box of stuff aimed at junkies and gullable fools. And if you need to share messages between a large number of people, a forum is the natural and sensible form.

------------------
A view from the UK
 
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No no no no no. I have to disagree completely. It is entirely up to service providers etc. how they wish to make their money; and if we don't like it, we don't have to use internet/e-mail/whatever (if you didn't like paying for snail-mail you always had the option of not sending letters).
If some providers wish to sell accounts that are "all in", "send as many e-mails as you want, prepaid", that's fine. If others wish to offer a "pay to send" deal, that's also fine. There is no principle cast in bronze on a mountain-top declaring that internet access/e-mail shall be free. And misinterpretations of the right to freedom of speech to cover the "right" to be provided with free access to expensive electronics are mere red herrings.

Whether charging for sending an e-mail would change anything, that's a different issue.
 
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Star, lionelhill.

There shouldn't be any preordained ways of doing any of that stuff. Let service providers do what is best for their business, and let users shop around for what they like. And most of all, don't dumb down computers in a feeble attempt at solving a business problem.

Dimandja
 
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Yes but that goes without saying, We essentially all use an "all inclusive" package now for receiving emails.
 
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It is entirely up to service providers etc. how they wish to make their money..."

That is, of course, true. I'm not aware of any ISPs who charge "postage" on emails sent - but they're entirely free to do so if the wish. I can't see any competitive advantage in doing so, but that's their business.

What is being proposed, however, is that ISPs world-wide should be forced to charge for emails. My objection is not that email "should" be free, but that markets should be.

-- Chris Hunt
 
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Oh, here I go again.... sticking my nose in.

Once again, we are looking for a technology solution to a user problem.

First, my $.02 (as always).... I'll be DAMNED if I'm sending Bill Gates, or ANYONE, for that matter, money for sending e-mail from MY OWN E-MAIL SERVER, which I run, maintain, pay for the power for, etc. Oh, plus pay for internet connectivity to begin with.

The question is, why all the spam???? BECAUSE IT WORKS! Now, I hate spam just as much as everyone else, I don't need a larger... umm.... anatomy, and I don't have performance problems with it, my car, my stocks, or anything else. Spam is a big problem... BUT....

As long as people keep clicking on it, we'll get more of it. There's a very good article on MSNBC's site at called "Who profits from spam? Surprise" and you find that there's a market for spam. The article details responding to a spam with traceable information about "lowest prices on a home loan", and surprise, within 4 days, they get e-mails from Ameriquest, Quicken Loans, LoanWeb, and Ivy Mortgage!

Does that mean that Ameriquest is sending out spam directly? No, they get it from "lead generators".... and they will pay big bucks ($100 per closed lead). So, let's do the math... send out 1 Million Spams, only 1/2% click on them for more information, that's 5000 leads, out of those 5000 leads (who have already stated they're interested in a loan), say maybe 1% actually close the deal.... 50 people, times $100... $5000 for one spamming. Not bad business, in the grand scheme of things. And those are conservative numbers...

The reality of it is, the ONLY way to completely stop spam is to stop making it profitable. Bounce it, reject it, delete it, but DON'T use it, no matter how good the deal.

OK, that was about $.04

--Greg
 
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gbaughma, yup, you are quite right to point out we bring this on ourselves to at least some extent; though it can be a bit irksome to be flooded in offers that apply only in the US, where I don't live.
To put my previous rant into context, my main objection is to people who don't invest anything themselves, but seem to believe that free access to e-mail is a basic human right. I have a related objection to people who think their employers should be obligated to provide unlimited time, privacy and bandwidth for non-work-related internet/e-mail activity. When we're given nice things for free, it's downright rude to complain and demand that someone make them even nicer!
 
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Well said lionelhill.

Good Luck
--------------
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein
 
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So Microsoft Corp. chairman Bill Gates
I'm certified with MS, but I wasn't born yesterday. There are rumors out there that Mr. Gates want's to start the Bank of Microsoft. He certainaly has the money to do so, and I see this as a means of his getting it started legit. Bait and switch, "We need to charge for e-mail" = "You can set up an account with the Bank of Microsoft." I'll see if I can find the article about Bill Gates Bank of M$. (My opinion, politicians ain't got a clue as to what this would or would not do. Has nothing to do with e-mail, has all to do with $.)

Glen A. Johnson
If you're from Northern Illinois/Southern Wisconsin check out Tek-Tips in Chicago, Illinois Forum.

TTinChicago
 
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Mr. Gates want's to start the Bank of Microsoft ... I see this as a means of his getting it started legit."

Last time I heard, banking was a "legit" form of business anyway. If Gatesy wants to start a bank, why shouldn't he? Good luck to him.

Mind you, I hope it would be more reliable than some of his other products. Imagine getting a letter from your MS Bank manager: "Your account has suffered an error. Please reset the balance to $0 to continue..."

-- Chris Hunt
 
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Gates would never make it in banking. It is highly regulated and the profit margins are much slimmer than in software. Besides, his ATM's would always be down due to the necessity of running Windows.

Sometimes the grass is greener on the other side because there is more manure there - original.
 
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