memoir dirty rat James Frey, tasty turkey
recipes, a review of Harmon Leon's
Republican Like Me, 4-1-1 on the
political happenings of Brazil, and so
very much more...
(Baggage)
By Amanda, who is also a pipebomb
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article, "AOL and Yahoo are working with Goodmail, a Silicon Valley company, which plans to charge
between a quarter-cent and a cent for each message. The two Internet companies will get the bulk of
the fees that Goodmail collects."
So who the hell is Goodmail, and why are AOL and Yahoo planning on vampiring customers?
If you believe the Internet rumors, this is an attempt by AOL (Yahoo has yet to confirm any plans to use
Goodmail) to divert the cost of Spam filtering by pooping it into the laps of bulk emailers. AOL presently
uses their own program, called "Whitelist," to allow users to separate legit bulk mail from Spam. AOL
describes the CertifiedEmail plan as a way of stopping "phishing" (you know, where John Smith from
Zimbabwe asks for your bank account number so he can route you millions of dollars) and Spamming
of customers.
Unfortunately for AOL, this argument is about as logical as the popularity of Paris Hilton. An organization
agreeing to pay X dollars for every mass emailing is as likely to stop Spam as charging for ads will stop
advertising. Our newspapers and magazines and websites are flooded with this slop for a reason:
businesses can afford it. If anything, this seems likely to produce *more* Spam and junk in any poor
unsuspecting AOL inbox.
Trying to decipher AOL's sloppily constructed riddles regarding this mess is, in of itself, a nightmare:
"Senders who are on the AOL Enhanced Whitelist will be eligible to apply for the CertifiedEmail service
and AOL encourages senders to do so. The ability of Goodmail's CertifiedEmail service to hold senders
accountable for their sending practices will allow AOL to provide qualified senders with privileges and
benefits well beyond those offered by the Enhanced Whitelist program. "
Er...I'm not sure what this means. There's no mention of *how* Goodmail will be able to hold anyone
accountable, other than the implementation of a fee. It seems reasonable to draw the conclusion
that, through signing an agreement that you are willing to pay X dollars and cents for sending mass
emails, you essential receive the ability to bypass the Spam filters and send as many Viagra ads as you
wish. This CertifiedEmail program appears about as technically compelling as so-called "tech movies"
which feature a dork in cargo pants and glasses pecking away at a keyboard while periodically
muttering, "enhance...enhance..."
What this change *is* doing is causing panic in nonprofit organizations. MoveOn.org (which keeps folks
apprised of political misdeeds and upcoming actions via email) has joined forces with a broad range
of nonprofit groups (batting both left and right) which rely on email for communication. This collective
launched a website, DearAOL, to announce their opposition and collect Internet signatures for an
online petition. On the site they argue: "...the moment AOL switches to a two-tiered Internet where
giant emailers pay for preferential service, AOL will face a simple business choice: spend money to
keep regular Spam filters up-to-date, or make money by neglecting their Spam filters and pushing
more senders to pay for guaranteed delivery. Poor delivery of mail turns from being a problem that AOL
has every incentive to fix to something that could actually make them money if the company ignores
it."
Most recently (as in two days ago) AOL issued a statement that nonprofits could sign up to be exempt
from the charges associated with this new program, either by continuing to use the "Whitelist" or by
essentially signing up for a scholarship for the CertifiedEmail program. This still sits kinda icky with most
people, and for obvious reasons. Our universe is filled with hoops and red-tape, and nonprofits
inevitably become professionals at sending copies of their 501(c)3 tax documentation, and filling out
extensive applications for everything from general operating funds to the acquisition of a new pencil
sharpener. Having another set of hoops to jump through to use, of all things, email, is dangerously close
to pissing all over one of the last remaining parades. They characterize this switch as an "email tax," or
essentially a threat to, whoopsie! lose your email if you haven't signed up for their pay service.
In the words of DearAol: "Everyone who can't afford to pay AOL's "email tax" - including charities, small
businesses, civic organizations, and even families with mailing lists - will have no guarantee that their
emails will be delivered. If other companies follow AOL in adopting pay-to-send systems, the Internet
will become permanently divided into two classes of users - those who can afford to pay for
guaranteed delivery and everyone else left behind with unreliable service."
What makes the Internet exciting is that it is the final frontier for free speech, open debate, and the
spread of exciting new words and ideas. If nickel and dime fees are introduced into the equation
moreso than they are already, it's only a matter of time before we receive the same softball news and
information being broadcast on television, newspaper, and radio. If a giant like AOL is able to make
this transition without serious backlash, it's only a matter of time before other high profile tech corps
jump on the penny squeezing bandwagon. While nonprofits sit closest to the panic button, the rest of
us should take a moment to notice the flashing red light.
Read about the Struggle for a Free Internet
If you would like a free GMail account for luxury and feeless leisure, email me.
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