Comments:

As a person who receives "permission based" email and e-zines, and a person who sends "permission based" e-zines, I am very worried that the CAN-Spam Act will negatively impact my life and work. I totally understand that unsolicited spam is a MAJOR problem, particularly pornography. But, I am already experiencing so many problems getting emails that I want, from friends, family and businesses, because of "spam checking software" that some hosting companies are now using. People send me emails, and I don't even know it sometimes, because I never got it, until they verbally ask why I didn't respond. It was stopped because of things like using the word "Hi" in the subject line. And if part of this Act will involve companies who send out advertising, having to consult a database of people who have opted out, then I can't even see how that would be possible. And who will pay of that task of maintaining that list? Our tax dollars? And will it even function properly? What if I "opt out" and then find that I want to actually recieve email from certain companies, then how do I "opt back in"? And if I don't opt back in, am I causing those companies to break the law by sending me email that I really want? Please focus the time and attention of our government on people and companies who use deceptive and unscrupulous techniques for emailing. Don't we already have laws in place that we've used for our Post Office for years? Can't we just modify those to reflect the web? There is an answer to all of this out there somewhere, I just hope we don't hurt ourselves by over-legislating. Our freedom is disappearing, drop by drop. Thank you very much for your attention. ... Constance A. Zimmermann