<measl@mfn.org> writes:

...

It does not cost "very little" to recieve spam.

It costs the end-user very little to recieve spam.

I'll echo Paul's comments about the cost of my time. In my case, a half hour a day seems about right (compared to Paul's hour a day). I suspect you may have a very different perception about the value of your time than Paul and I have about the value of ours. I am sure that we have customers whose time is worth a lot and whose time is worth very little. Over half of our customers, however, are in countries where there is a per-minute cost to being off-hook on a dialup. They see a very direct cost to download spam, aside from the human costs.

Whether we like it or not however, this is a cost of doing business now, and is a normal part of determining your cost of goods sold (at least it *should* be).

Counting inventory shrinkage costs as part of the cost of doing business at a retail establishment does not change the fact that shoplifting is a crime.

...

Spam is theft, plain and simple.

Spam is a reality that none of us, either alone or in concert, will ever be able to eradicate. That makes the general gnashing of teeth == tilting at windmills.

Your position is noted.

Our time is probably the most expensive part of an ISPs "spam cleanups" budget - automating a filter system (for those who specifically ask for it, of course) via the purchase of services from Vixie or your favorite equivalent is likely to be a reasonably inexpensive alternative to having us spinning our wheels. <asbestos underwear in place ;->

You have incomplete information. That's all I'm going to say about it. ---Rob