PLUG-spam list?? Was Re: [PLUG] House Passed the Anti-Spam Bill

[Holger Stephan]

On Sun, 2003-11-23 at 22:18, AthlonRob wrote:
> FWIW, that sounds like a decent idea to me.  I would subscribe to a
> PLUG-email list.

Me too.

In my opinion the spam discussion is relevant for Linux activists for
these reasons:

1) A good part of us administer Linux servers and spam is part of the
task.

2) Spam in a way 'helps' us as it increases the awareness of the average
user. IT, software, the operation system is getting more media
bandwidth. We need this recognition, especially when we promote a system
that cannot be consumed as easily as the mainstream fast food system.
When IT runs in the background without any ripples people will take it
for granted and reduce its priority. This will also affect the budget. 

3) One reason why I am attracted by Linux is the freedom of choice,
freedom of using more control over the technology I am working with many
hours a day. New laws that reduce the freedom of distributing
information scare me. In my country, not too long ago, law has burned
books and banned information, free speech. Sure, a spam law is meant for
"bad" information. Problem is how to define "bad". You leave control
over deciding what is "bad" to people who may have a different
definition of "bad". Maybe not today, but such a law can be used as a
door opener in the future. For that reason I am generally oppose
outlawing the distribution of information, unless it supports a crime or
collides with the constitution. 

4) In 3) I explain that, for me, making spam a crime is a drastic
measure. I don't see the necessity. Others have pointed out the problem
can be controlled with technology. And labor. Which may work for the
administrators in our group (no, not me). 

5) Why is spam such a big deal? Last week I posted to this group why it
is not a problem for me. I control it with SpamAssassin and a few other
rather easy techniques and receive such a small number of spam mails
that I don't even get annoyed. I use Linux for this. If it works with
our toolset we should see this as a chance to deliver superior
technology on Linux to get a handle on this problem. Not that you
couldn't do this on Windows servers. But now there is a race to deliver
working solutions to this problem, and open source solutions are holding
a pretty good position in this race. People are annoyed and a working
solution will get their attention. 

6) The spam problem is often mixed and confused with security. Sometimes
with reason, when spam also delivers a virus. Security has a huge
potential to change the IT landscape with a momentum we may not have
expected a few months back. And security talk tends to work to the
advantage of Linux. 

7) We are talking about technology here, right? Well, however the
society deals with spam, technology will be the most important component
in any solution. As was pointed out by others, a US law to ban spam will
still keep enough spam coming from other countries. So, lets work on the
technology to solve this problem. 

Thus, a triple hip hip hurray on spam! ;)

Sorry for the long ramble, normally not my style.

- Holger