"In my opinion, this is no different than telemarketers or junk "regular" mail. I don't particularly like my mailbox full of junk e-mail, I have to work hard to make sure I don't accidentally delete legitimate mail, but I can delete the e-mails I don't want, just the way I can throw out the junk regular mail and screen my calls to avoid telemarketers.
The only ones I really am upset over are the junk faxers, who use my paper to fax me stuff I don't want and tie up my machine, when a legitimate fax maybe trying to get through."
I agree entirely with your view. I don't want to receive smut or porno or dozens of duplicate offers for the same thing. At the same time, I appreciate ingenious sales presentations and high quality, unique offers.
So I scan and evaluate. After a few days (using reading glasses) the real “spam” takes no more than a second to recognize.
On the other hand, I have received “advertising” email and have purchased and been satisfied with a number of purchases.
The real problem is the many, many poor suckers who have bought into (as in paid money) these scams that make them think that if they “invest” a few dollars, millions of men and/or women will want to have certain of their body parts enlarged, etc. etc. etc.
"The real problem is the many, many poor suckers who have bought into (as in paid money) these scams that make them think that if they “invest” a few dollars, millions of men and/or women will want to have certain of their body parts enlarged, etc. etc. etc. "
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But those are the same people who become suckers for telemarketers or regular junk mail. We can't protect people from themselves. I think people should be educated and told to be wary, and remember that "caveat emptor". I think people who market fraudulent things fall into a different category and they should be prosecuted criminally.
But legitimate businesses advertising on the internet via "spam" is no different than when they run a TV ad and you sit through the ad, before your program continues, or when you open up the newspaper you pay for and half of it is ads, or when you get junk regular mail.
Someone mentioned another legitimate problem, when junk e-mail fills up the mailbox, so regular e-mail can't get through, because the box is full. I think with people having so many e-mail addresses and screen names, just as you have do not call lists, you could request no junk mail to certain screen names ( or all of your screen names for those who really don't want anything).