Spam problem solved

Alan Lake alan.lake at lakeinfoworks.com
Sun Nov 19 14:57:58 UTC 2006


The solution to the spam problem is political.

Those who've been doing any amount of reading about the scourges of the 
Internet: spam, viruses, worms, spyware, etc. have noted that they are 
all hosted and spread on and by the products of one operating system 
manufacturer.  That manufacturer's products are all closed source, which 
means that only that one company can change its products to stop these 
scourges. 

Lest it be said that nothing can be done, let me repeat that only that 
one company's products are frequently mentioned as the means whereby 
these scourges are hosted and spread.  I've never heard of any other 
company's products doing so.  Therefore, it must be possible to design 
an operating system that does not.

Because those operating systems can be changed to stop the scourges and 
because only that one company can do it, why isn't it done?  The answer 
is motivation.  In America today, corporations seem to be motivated by 
only one thing -- money.  Not social responsibility, not good will, 
certainly not the fear of God, but the prospect of making money or the 
fear of losing money.

I believe that the laws of the United States that enable this company to 
prosper, can also be used to protect those who are damaged because of 
this company's irresponsible behavior.  I imagine that the EULA of this 
company has a clause or clauses in it that indemnifies it from any 
damages caused by the design of its OS.  Such clauses should not be 
allowed to stand so that any company is able to make money while doing 
things that cost others money, time or whatever.

Whether a change in the law is necessary or whether existing laws need 
to be applied, I don't know.  (What comes to mind is a class action 
lawsuit.)  But if there is political will, the United States can make it 
unprofitable for this company to not fix it's software.

I did not mention the company I have in mind by name, because fairness 
demands that such a change in or application of the law should apply to 
all companies in this situation.




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