RFC 3098 (rfc3098) - Page 2 of 28

How to Advertise Responsibly Using E-Mail and Newsgroups or - how NOT to $$$$$ MAKE ENEMIES FAST! $$$$$

RFC 3098                Advertising Responsibly               April 2001


   8.  Irresponsible Behavior .................................... 16
   9.  Responsible Behavior ...................................... 17
   10. Security Considerations ................................... 19
   Appendices .................................................... 20
     A.1  The classic Pyramid .................................... 20
     A.2  What about Ponzi? ...................................... 22
     A.3  So all multi-levels are evil? .......................... 22
     B.1  Why Web Privacy? ....................................... 23
   References .................................................... 25
   Authors' Addresses ............................................ 26
   Acknowledgments and Significant Contributors .................  27
   Full Copyright Statement ...................................... 28

1. Introduction

   The Internet is not a free resource.  Access to and a presence on the
   'Net comes at a cost to the participants, the service provider, and
   the recipients of those services made available by the Internet.  The
   more readily available internet has allowed users access to an
   unprecedented number of people.  Due to the rapid growth and
   "mainstream" acceptance of the 'Net, new opportunities have been
   found for the distribution of information to the vast and ever-
   growing community of Internet users.  There are groups and
   individuals who choose to use the 'Net for purposes for which it was
   not intended, thus defying the consensus among both the practitioners
   and the unwilling recipients.  The aforementioned practice, of
   course, is the sending of Unsolicited Commercial and Bulk E-Mail
   messages, posts to Netnews groups, or other unsolicited electronic
   communication.  This condition has caused an awakening on the part of
   the Internet community-at-large.

   There are stereotypes that must be broken before continuing.  Not all
   persons who are new to the Internet are ignorant of the 'Net's
   history and evolution, or its proper and ethical uses.  Nor are all
   experienced, long-term Netizens against the use of the Internet for
   advertising, marketing, or other business purposes.  Where these two
   groups can find commonality is in their opposition to the use of the
   Internet in irresponsible ways.  Some of these irresponsible uses
   include, but are not limited to, the sending of Unsolicited Bulk or
   Commercial E-Mail to mailing lists, individuals, or netnews groups.
   In the vernacular, this activity is called "spamming" (the sending of
   "spam" [1]).  To understand why such activities are irresponsible,
   one must first understand the true cost and ramifications of such
   actions.

   The protocols and architecture upon which the 'Net is built, which
   are recognized and adhered to as standards, provide for an openness
   and availability which foster and encourage easy communication.



Gavin, et al.                Informational