🚀 go-pugleaf

I think that people have been overlooking a number of points:

1) The network *was* created by Americans, and financed by a huge investment
on the part of the American taxpayer.  This tends to be forgotten by certain
non-Americans, who conveniently forget how their countries' PTTs fought the
expansion of the Internet tooth and nail.  If the PTTs had their way, we'd
still be waiting for X.400 to solve our problems, and paying a fortune to the
PTTs for what little e-mail connectivity we are permitted.

2) The present international e-mail infrastructure was built by the collective
work of a great many individuals, who fought hard to pull the fangs from the
PTTs, who overcame national considerations to join the cooperative community
created by Americans and evolve it into a true international facility.  This
tends to be forgotten by certain Americans, who conveniently forget that if it
weren't for the efforts of these people we'd have a great American net but no
access or communication with the rest of the world.

3) It should not require being told not to send advertising e-mail on the
network.  Acceptable Use policies are posted and publicly available; but it
should be a simple matter of common sense.

Unsolicited advertising in e-mail is completely unacceptable, just as it is
for FAX or for cellular phones.  It is already illegal in certain US states to
send junk FAXes.  If common sense isn't used, we face the very real
possibility of having legal mechanisms created.  Considering how incredibly
gothic international legal mechanisms are, it is in NOBODY's interest that it
should come to that.

Junk e-mail, junk FAX, and junk cellular calls differ from postal mail in that
in postal mail the entire cost is assumed by the sender.  That is not the case
with the others.  Although `mail bombing' or `FAX looping' may be an immature
response to the problem, it is undeniably effective in correcting the problem.