Fighting Spam Part VI

(by Dan Butler)

We've been examining spam in this series but we've never looked at what does and does not constitute spam. This issue I'll cover a few broad definitions and point you to a helpful resource.

Of course not everyone will agree with me and that's ok. To put things in perspective I've been on the Internet since 1992. Running mailing lists, selling merchandise, being a customer, and helping administer email services for several companies. My opinions aren't coming off the top of my head. I do understand the issues - from all sides.

How do I define spam? I'll give you a brief answer to this complicated subject. First let's look at some common definitions you'll find floating around.

Some people define spam as any email they didn't specifically ask to receive. That is an extreme position to be sure. It also falls down philosophically when you realize they would be spamming by their own definition simply to request that you send them an email!

Others call spam is any commercial email they didn't request. This often carries the initials UCE for Unsolicited Commercial Email. The key here being the word "Commercial". Solicitations for purchase. I really don't mind people asking me to buy things - if they are things I've asked them about or if I've purchased something from them in the past.

People who follow the UCE track will tell you that a company has no right to contact them unless they specifically give the right. The company will maintain that the prior purchase does establish a relationship.

I do tend to side with the companies on this view. The company is sending information or offers to people who have expressed an interest in their products or services in the past. The email is targeted. Unfortunately many companies don't understand the relationship and abuse it - selling your name to other companies, contacting you too often, etc. Those companies make hard for the rest.

Remember that a responsible company wanting to send commercial email to its customers has no interest in increasing the burden on their customers. They are trying to enhance their business through sales or other means. Possibly they are trying to pass information along that would be useful to users of their products. In any case it is a company communicating with their existing customer base.

The type of spam we've been discussion in this series is what is called Unsolicited Bulk Email or UBE for short. It's the bulk aspect that makes spam intolerable from a system administration point of view. The sheer volume of the bulk combined with the bounces, complaints, and system resources makes for one giant administrative headache.

I'm drawing a distinction between Bulk email and Commercial email. There is a difference. Understand this difference and you'll understand how to combat it effectively. Trying to shut down every reference to every company in every email you receive that you don't think you asked for won't solve the problem. You might feel better - but it's hurts a lot of innocent people and wastes a lot of peoples time. People who could be spending their time creating ways to truly fix the problem.

Using the definitions above you can see that email can be commercial without necessarily being bulk. Bulk email is what most of you are seeing when you think of spam. It comes in without regard for your interests, tastes, or age. It isn't above board. The headers are fake and other elements of the email are geared to trick you into opening it. Is the really the type of company you would want to do business with? I didn't think so. Remember - companies send spam because people buy from spam.

On the other hand well done commercial email can be very targeted and very efficient. It can save a company money they previously would have spent on postal mailings. Will the company pass those savings on -- well -- that's another matter entirely.

Paul Myers has been on the net about as long as I have. We've corresponded over the years and compared views on spam among other topics. He's written a good article from both the marketing and end user view. His language is strong at times. I agree with Paul's views about 100%. Read his article here:

http://www.talkbiz.com/spamwars.html

Next issue I'll tell you some actual "horror stories" of how innocent people have fallen victim to the well intentioned efforts of people trying to combat spam.