How To Deal With Unsolicited Advertising

[Roger Clarke]

Chris Patterson suggested:
>what about some form of "NO JUNK MAIL PLEASE" sign.

I don't think that's terribly feasible in the electronic context, at least
in relation to email.

Which reminds me of an experience many years ago - Geoff Huston et Telstra
al., please (re-)consider as you think about the addition of email
addresses to directories:

In 1976-77, on behalf of the NSW Privacy Committee, I approached Telstra
(then Telecom) with the following proposition:  to enable those people who
don't want unsolicited tele-marketing approaches to warn off would-be
marketers, change your registration forms and directory format to include a
symbol (say, an asterisk) alongside their directory entry.

The proposal was, of course, deficient, and we knew it, because many
tele-marketers dial without recourse to the telephone directory.  But we
felt it would have helped.

Telstra said 'no'.  We didn't manage to get a reason from them.  We-e-ell,
we were new kids on the block, and Telecom weren't formally within our
jurisdiction.  Another consideration may have been that it was in Telecom's
interests for people to go ex-directory rather than stay in the directory
with an extra symbol in their listing (because it saves money to print
fewer entries, and people actually have to pay for the non-service of
de-listing ...).  But surely the new, commercial, service-oriented Telstra
wouldn't be so heartless.

[Declaration of conflict of interest:
    I do work for Telstra (no, not Directories ...).]


Roger Clarke              http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/
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