You too can be a spammer!

[mithrilG60]

Originally Posted by Tombstone

The government will only make things worse. Look for free market solutions to your problem.

As a general rule I disagree with that, look no further than the recent melt downs in the real estate, financial and employment markets to illustrate that the free market is incapable of being effectively self-regulating. Free-market self-policing allows too much latitude for natural human greed to take over and spiral things out of control.

That said, in this context it's mostly correct simply because there's absolutely no way any gov't can regulate spam. The only way any gov't can regulate a company that exists entirely in the digital domain is if that company has physical foothold in the country. Most of the mass email marketing company's have their base of operations in unregulated regions such as Russia and 3rd world nations that care more about the tax base than the actions of the company. Such a company isn't going to give a rats arse about the US (or any other foreign) gov't passing anti-spam laws simply because there's no realistic way of enforcing any of the penalties associated with them.

The analogy would be if I bombed someone in the US with a box of Cuban's from an online retailer. Even though it's illegal for you to receive that shipment, does the US gov't have any legal recourse against either me or the vendor? Of course not, not being American's neither the retailer or myself are bound by US laws in any way shape or form and as a result the US gov't has no way of imposing any consequences on us.

Originally Posted by mithrilG60

As a general rule I disagree with that, look no further than the recent melt downs in the real estate, financial and employment markets to illustrate that the free market is incapable of being effectively self-regulating. Free-market self-policing allows too much latitude for natural human greed to take over and spiral things out of control.

That said, in this context it's mostly correct simply because there's absolutely no way any gov't can regulate spam. The only way any gov't can regulate a company that exists entirely in the digital domain is if that company has physical foothold in the country. Most of the mass email marketing company's have their base of operations in unregulated regions such as Russia and 3rd world nations that care more about the tax base than the actions of the company. Such a company isn't going to give a rats arse about the US (or any other foreign) gov't passing anti-spam laws simply because there's no realistic way of enforcing any of the penalties associated with them.

Unregulated free market was the major cause of the great depression and our recent recession.

[kaisersozei]

Originally Posted by mariogolbee

Unregulated free market was the major cause of the great depression and our recent recession.

I strongly disagree with at least the last half of this statement.

But to keep this from spiraling into a political debate and to keep it on task, I'll suggest that the OP was either being scammed by the caller (he couldn't confirm the 125MM number...) or that he had 125MM email addresses which doesn't equate to 125MM people. In either case, that's a lot of email.

Originally Posted by kaisersozei

I strongly disagree with at least the last half of this statement.

You're welcomed. We can continue this one by PM some time when we both have more time if you wish. Agreeing to disagree is cool too.

Spammers suck!