Isn't this like a bad idea?

Hi folks,

Selling email addresses seems to me to be a bad idea. Wouldn't
it be better to have people sign up instead of this? I mean,
it looks like this is for spammers.

Who can I contact about this abuse?

thanks,

-lile

>From mick3@concentric.net Wed Mar 19 21:18:24 1997
Date: Thu, 20 Mar 1997 00:17:18 -0500 (EST)
Comments: Authenticated sender is <mick3@pop3.concentric.net>
From: "mick3@concentric.net" <mick3@concentric.net>
To: you@concentric.net
Subject: 1 MIO e-mail addresses for sale

Hello, and sorry to bug you...
If you are not a business owner, we apologize.
For Sale:  1 MILLION E-MAIL ADDRESSES FOR $95.00
or 2million for $ 155.00 - or 3 million for $ 195.00
Available on 3.5" disk or e-mail download.
These are fresh lists, no BS...plain ASCI format, one per line.
This is a one time mailing, you will not be contacted again.
Send check or money order to:

YMR - ADDRESS LIST
P.O. Box 654
Marysville, Ca 95901

( please specify, if you want 3.5" disk or have it sent via e-mail as *.zip file)
                        Questions? call Mick at (916) 741-2622

                 TO BE PROMTLY REMOVED, TYPE "REMOVE"

At 12:45 PM -0800 3/20/97, Lile Elam wrote:
>Hi folks,
>
>Selling email addresses seems to me to be a bad idea. Wouldn't
>it be better to have people sign up instead of this? I mean,
>it looks like this is for spammers.
>
>Who can I contact about this abuse?
>

It may be tacky and undesirable, but public information is just that, public.

(I don't mean some quasi-legalistic distinction between "public" and
"private," as defined by regulators, I mean information publically
accessible.)

If one wants something kept private, use privacy tools.

(And as Cypherpunks know so well, if regulators/legislators attempt to
interfere in such markets, the markets will simply move to other
jurisdictions, or into cyphersace.)

--Tim May

Just say "No" to "Big Brother Inside"
We got computers, we're tapping phone lines, I know that that ain't allowed.
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May              | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
tcmay@got.net  408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA  | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
Higher Power: 2^1398269     | black markets, collapse of governments.
"National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."