I can see where the spam issue is going to be equated with the telemarketer issue but the two are very different for at least two reasons. First, telemarketing is a new thing- it changed our perception of the telephone and we didn't like that (It also changed the terms of telephone service, in that the assumed purpose of the telephone was for us to communicate and not for solicitation. Indeed, had telemarketers gone into business with the advent of the phone company they might be an incredible presence today..). Second, the telephone is a real-time device- whereas email is not. The majority of the time that I find consumed by spam is in the time it takes to delete it and I wonder about that small saving in time being exchanged for a further infringment on the liberties of Americans. Yup, I've gone into that argument. Besides, I find spam interesting- don't you wonder what the new subject line that's supposed to get the most money out of the gullible is going to be? I've only seen two spams for breast enlargement while I've seen a few hundred for penis enlargement and I find this interesting. The time I put into deleting these spams was the time invested in learning something about people- Oh.. an insight! People who are opposed to spam have small penises but are aware that pills won't solve the problem; this produces frustration, which is directed toward the spammer for rubbing it in. Daily.. Me, I don't mind spam all that much.

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