How many times have you grimaced when you downloaded e-mail and realized that you will have to sort through, and delete, numerous mass-mailing (spam, junk mail, advertisements) in order to find your real e-mail messages?

Even sadder are those people who miss real e-mail messages because their alloted e-mail space on their servers is filled up by so many commercial e-mails. Similarly, think about those poor people whose computers crash because the daily onslaught of unwanted e-mail advertisements overloads the capacities of their computers.

But the advertiser's believe they will make a profit if they sell to a small fraction of their mailing list, so they simply don't care about the problems that they are causing for millions of other e-mail users around the world. Are you really surprised? There have always been some selfish people.

Most disgusting of all, are those commercial e-mails that offer you the option of responding to an e-mail address to remove your name from a list. Don't be fooled! They use that tactic to verify that your e-mail address is correct, which makes your e-mail address even more sought after by the mass e-mail senders!

And as for the telemarketers --- How many times have you been awakened from sleep, or interrupted while doing a project, by a ringing telephone, then stumbled to the telephone, only to find that it's someone wanting to sell you banking services, funeral plots or something else that you're perfectly capable of finding -- if and when you need such products?

I realize that the caller is only doing his or her job, so don't be rude to him or her, but neither are your obliged to listen to this commercial that you didn't request.

Regarding the mass e-mail messages that fill your Internet mailbox, you could put the following below your signature in e-mail messages, on your Web pages, or in other postings ...

To those who would send commercial ("junk") e-mail:
Pursuant to US Code, Title 47, Chapter 5, Subchapter II, 227, any and all unsolicited commercial e-mail sent to any of the above address(s), or any e-mail address on these Web pages, is subject to a download and archival fee in the amount of $500.00 USD. Emailing denotes acceptance of these terms.

Then, send a bill ... at least try to enforce it. If you make up a statement on your computer and send it to the company, it will cost them some money to sort it out, which is the only impact (short of much-needed legislation), that will make a difference in whether they continue to harass you.

Or, here is another sample statement for a Web page:

Anyone using e-mail addresses from my Web site for commercial or advertising or solicitation purposes agrees to forward to me the sum of $25,000.00 in United States Dollars (USD) on the same day that such e-mail addresses are copied from this Web site, and also agrees to forward to (the/each) owner of such e-mail address(es) the sum of $25,000.00 in United States Dollars (USD) on the same day that such e-mail addresses are copied from this Web site. Delays in fulfilling this payment requirement will result in the addition of interest fees to the amount due, with such interest fees accumulating at the rate of $5,000.00 per day. Given that this copyright policy is linked from my main (entry) page, ignorance of this policy shall not comprise any exemption from this debt, and use of e-mail addresses from this site for commercial or advertising or solicitation purposes comprises an acknowledgement of the user's understanding and acceptance of this policy.

If nothing else, such a statement posted by you reminds other Internet users that they don't deserve the intrusive advertising that they receive.

When businesses call you on the telephone line that you pay for to do their marketing, send them a bill for use of your personal telephone line for advertising purposes!

It really startles telemarketers when I stop them and ask for their mailing address, and then explain that there will be a charge for them using my telephone line for commercial purposes.

I realize that the caller is only doing his or her job, so don't be rude to him or her, but they often have to go ask their supervisor how to respond to my unusual demands.

And, amazingly, some telemarketers have actually given me their mailing address when caught off-guard by my question.

Again, if you send a statement to the advertising company, it will cost them some money (time) to deal with your statement, which means your message got through!

Or ... another thing that I did ... get name and number caller ID. If you don't know the caller, why answer? Your friends, family and employer probably aren't going to mark a call as "private" when they call you.

Who else would you want to hear from ???

And ... if you don't want unsolicited commercial telephone calls on your home telephone, be sure that you've signed up for the federal and state "do not call" lists.

Most powerful of all --- specifically give your business and donations to companies and groups that do not send unsolicited advertising (e-mail and telephone) into your home without your consent.

And, to those of you who are naive enough
to believe the get-rich-quick schemes
behind mass e-mail advertising ...

Shame on you for harassing us!

The only ones who will get rich
are those manipulators who are
selling the e-mail address lists
to gullible people!

Today's Ain't it the truth definitions:

Spam


Charitable contributions, by the "not-so-bright," to the people who sell e-mail lists.



Telemarketers


Companies that use the telephone that you pay for, to give you calls that you don't want, because harassing you is no big deal if they can make a profit by selling to the tiny fraction of people who do buy from them.

I realize that this telemarketing/mass e-mailing issue is a not as disasterous an issue as other expressions of greed and ignorance -- such as global warming, deforestation, hunger, prejudice, human rights violations or extinction of species.

It just feels good to ventilate, and hey -- it's my Web site! (Smile.)

Copyright 1996-2008, Granduncle Mark (Mark Ellsworth Hickman, PhD)

Granduncle Mark's Genealogy Parlor

Mark Ellsworth Hickman, PhD

Contact me at