RE: Proposed EU Directive on Electronic Commerce

> Negotiating the preferences of the user is a duty that must directly
involve
> the sender of the message. This is a duty that mass mail of any kind has
never
> really chosen to accept; email more so than any other. It would be a
mistake
> for ISPs to offer to accept this responsibility instead - and even if we
did, I
> doubt the offer would be accepted in any other than the most cynical
manner.

I suppose this is largely because the cost model of mass mail doesn't
support any such duty; nay, it subverts it.  It inverts the conventional
model of mail i.e. that of the sender paying.  With e-mail, it is
ultimately the recipient who pays, and with continued abuse it is probable
that some means of shifting the cost towards the sender will find favour.

Mike