STOP THE SPAM!!! So, what is the answer???

It all starts with a globally accepted standard for how commercial email is managed. This may sound like an impossible first step, but we are much closer than you may realize! Everyone is aware of the problems Spam causes, and more and more people are becoming attentive to the details required for a effective solution. Since the early 1990's a small group of Jedi VereKnights have consistently and actively promoted and lobbied for the need to establish a few critical standards for regulating Spam. Over the years this group has grown to include 10,000's of VereKnights who utilize 100% Spam free and Spam proof marketing methods. We encourage you to join the "Rebellion" as well by signing the online Petition for Responsible Email Marketing.

Haven't we tried legislation?

Yes (at least in the US) there was the CanSpam Act of 2003 (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act).

The problem is that the politicians who represent us in the United States or elsewhere in the world simply don't understand the details of the problem and factors required for an effective solution! They may have had the best intentions in the world with the CanSpam act, but for the most part it has been universally agreed that it has done very little to solve the problem. More
pessimistically... it may have actually provided a greater benefit to Spammers than to abolishing Spam. CanSpam basically provides a few "rules" for how email headers should not be falsified, prohibits misleading subject lines, requires commercial email to include an opt-out method and be identified as containing an advertisement as well as contain the postal address of the sender.
Now, these are all good policies. However, CanSpam falls miserably short of addressing the real policies that need to be considered. In so doing, the United States government has basically defined for Spammers the acceptable way for them to Spam! i.e. Just follow these rules
are you are okay! This does absolutely nothing to defend from having your email address and personal information placed on email lists and sold around the world so that you start receiving tons of junk email from Spammers who are following the CanSpam guidelines!

So what's missing? Any suggestions? Why of course the answer is YES! The CanSpam act was an important first step in establishing an accepted standard for controlling and eventually reducing Spam. But there is much more to do! The following is a list of items included in
the Petition for Responsible Email Marketing that the CanSpam act does not address:

1) All commercial and marketing email must use a double opt-in verification system. It's not right or fair for Spammers to be able to simply start sending you tons of mail when you never agreed to receive it! Even if every email they send you is CanSpam compliant... will that make one bit of difference!?! (No!) And, it's not enough for someone to simply opt-in to receive an email. It must be a double opt-in system. This means that rather than simply submitting a form on a web site indicating that you accept to receive email, the web site must first send you a verification email confirming that you have opted-in. If you do not click the verification link in the email or else respond to it, you have NOT verified and should NOT have to receive email from them. Without this policy there is nothing to stop someone from submitting YOUR email address to various web sites and services to opt you in without your knowledge or approval!

2) Being verified is not enough. It must be "verifiable!" What this means is that you should not have to just take people's word for it that you have verified to receive email from them. Any company or individual sending commercial email should be required to provide a simple mechanism that proves the verification took place. For example, you should be able to go
directly to a web page from the person sending you email where you can enter your email address as see exactly the date/time, IP address, and web site or source where you verified to receive email. There should be a clear and obvious link to this resource in the email you received.

3) Reveal the verification source in the email. While item #2 above is critical, you should not be forced to have to go to this web page to determine when and where you verified your email address. This same information should be contained in the email you received along with the other things required by the CanSpam act.

4) Easy/obvious opt-out methods. Every commercial email you receive should contain a single link that you can click to opt-out from any further emails. While it is okay for this link to go to a
web page asking you to confirm, you should not be forced to renter your email address on that site. Furthermore the email should offer additional methods for opting-out. Similar to #2 above, it should offer a link to a web page where you can globally opt-out of their entire system (i.e. add you email address to their blacklist). You should also have the ability to mail or fax your opt-out request. Finally, a valid phone number for the sender should also be provided in the email (though calling is not a reliable means for opting-out). These 4 items are very straight forward. They should not be considered a luxury to have. Your privacy and the security of your personal information online should be a RIGHT!

Through acceptance of these additional policies by the global Internet community we will see a rapid decline in Spam as 2 things quickly occur:

1. Online marketing companies will rush to comply with these new standards! None of them want the hassle they currently deal with regarding Spam, blacklisted IP addresses, angry consumers, and legal problems. The only reason many companies do not hold themselves to this standard is that they either are unaware of the problem they are contributing to, or else they correctly view the current environment to be one that is so hostile from inflammatory Anti-
Spam Zealots that no matter how hard they try to be ethical, responsible, and do things the right way they will inevitably still be punished by the Zealots who will blacklist their IP address at the drop of a hat upon a single (unfounded) Spam complaint.

2. As this evolution by the marketing companies occurs, Spammers will see less and less reason to Spam. They will now have numerous options in the open market with companies and services through which they can send their email responsibly and legally. Ironically their marketing results will be much better as will their profits since they will be sending email to people ready and willing to receive it. The average Spammer doesn't want legal hassles anyway! The
problem today is that the online community has not offered them a clear standard for sending email. At best it has been mixed messages. As the standards become clear, the few chronic Spammers who remain will quickly stand out to authorities.

God rest their souls.

So, where do you go from here..?

If you have not already done so, make sure you sign the online Petition for Responsible Email Marketing to help support the cause. If you are an Internet marketer, consider joining the ranks of the Jedi VereKnight and start using powerful marketing tools that are 100% Spam
free.


Go to http://povertyisnofun.spam-wars.net

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